adjective
General Slang
Chelou
/ʃəlu/ · adjective · slang
Verlan for 'louche' (shady) — means sketchy, dodgy, or suspicious.
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Definitions
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From the standard French 'louche' (shady, shifty). Verlan inverts lou-che to che-lou. It means suspicious, sketchy, or dodgy.
“Ce plan est chelou. = This plan is sketchy.”
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Describes a person who seems untrustworthy or off.
“Le voisin est un peu chelou. = The neighbour is a bit shady.”
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Used for anything weird or that gives a bad feeling.
“Y'a une ambiance chelou ici. = There's a weird vibe here.”
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Chelou In A Sentence
Son histoire est vraiment chelou.
J'ai recu un message chelou ce matin.
C'est chelou que personne reponde.
Origin & Usage
Banlieue verlan from 'louche', common in everyday French since the 1990s. It pairs naturally with English 'sketchy' / 'dodgy' and is a staple of youth speech.
Variants
louche
People Also Ask
What does chelou mean?
It's verlan for 'louche' (shady) and means sketchy, dodgy, or suspicious.
Is chelou about people or things?
Both — a person, a plan, a message, or a general vibe can all be 'chelou'.
Where did chelou come from?
From verlan, the back-slang of the French banlieues, mainstream since the 1990s.
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