Verlan — French Backslang
A French argot that inverts a word’s syllables (the word verlan is l’envers — “the reverse” — reversed). Born in the Paris banlieues and carried nationwide by 1990s rap. High interest for English speakers learning real spoken French.
22 words
Double-verlan of 'arabe' (via 'beur') — a French person of North African/Arab descent.
Verlan for 'mechant' (wicked) — flipped to mean awesome or sick, like English 'wicked'.
Verlan for 'enerve' (angry/annoyed) — means pissed off or worked up.
In 'laisse beton', verlan for 'laisse tomber' (drop it / forget it).
Verlan of 'arabe' — a French-born person of North African descent; named a 1980s generation.
Verlan for 'merci' (thanks) — a casual, often cheeky way to say thank you.
Mature content — open to view.
Verlan for 'pitie' — short form 'tiep', used for something pitiful, lame, or gross.
Verlan for 'fou' (crazy) — means insane, wild, or amazing depending on context.
Verlan for 'metro' — the underground/subway, a daily-life banlieue word.
Verlan for 'louche' (shady) — means sketchy, dodgy, or suspicious.
Verlan for 'frere' (brother) — used for a literal brother or, like 'bro', a close friend.
Verlan for 'flic' (cop) — the standard banlieue word for a police officer.
Verlan for 'mec' (guy/dude) — the masculine counterpart to 'meuf'.
Verlan for 'noir' (Black) — a Black person, often used as an in-group identity term.
Verlan for 'fete' (party) — the go-to word for a party or rave in French slang.
Verlan for 'femme' (woman/girl) — the standard French syllables flipped, now everyday slang.
Verlan for 'pourri' (rotten) — specifically a corrupt cop on the take.
Verlan for 'francais' (French) — a French person or the French language.
Verlan for 'lourd' (heavy) — means annoying, a pain, or a drag.
Verlan for 'bizarre' (weird) — means strange, odd, or off.
Verlan for 'bete' (stupid) — means dumb or an idiot.