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81 French Acronyms and Abbreviations

Knowing French acronyms is a great way to not only shorten things up in your writing and speech, but to fit in with the natives. Acronyms and abbreviations are mostly only used in casual situations, but if you use them correctly, your French friends are sure to be impressed with your knowledge.

This post will give you 80+ French acronyms and abbreviations to help you out in any casual conversation.

Greetings 

Abbreviation/AcronymFrench DefinitionEnglish Definition
BjrBonjourGood Afternoon
BsrBonsoirGood Evening
CcCous-cousHi
CcvComment ça va?How are you?
SltSalutHi
QDNQuoi de neuf?What's up?

Common French Words

Abbreviation/AcronymFrench DefinitionEnglish Definition
SVPBonjourGood Afternoon
STPBonsoirGood Evening
PkCous-cousHi
DslComment ça va?How are you?
VrmSalutHi
MciQuoi de neuf?What's up?
DacD'accordOkay
BcpBeaucoupA lot
QQCQuelque choseSomething
QQ1Quelqu'onSomeone
Je cJe saisI know
TtToutAll

Time-Related

Abbreviation/AcronymFrench DefinitionEnglish Definition
JmsJamaisNever
AjhAujourd'huiToday
TjsToujoursAlways
hHeureHour
AprèmAprès-midiAfternoon

Titles

Abbreviation/AcronymFrench DefinitionEnglish Definition
M.MonsieurMr.
Mme.MadameMrs.
Mlle.MadamoiselleMiss
Dr.DocteurDoctor
Pr.ProfesseurProfessor
Me.MaîtreLawyer

Travel

Abbreviation/AcronymFrench DefinitionEnglish Definition
ARAller RetourRound trip
DOMTOMDépartements d'Outre-Mer et Territoires d'Outre-MerFrench overseas departments and territories
RATPRégie Autonome des Transports ParisiensAutonomous Operator of Parisian Transports
RERRéseau Express RégionalRegional Express Network
SNCFSociété Nationale des Chemins de Fer FrançaisNational Society of French Railways
TGVTrain à Grande VitesseHigh-speed train
É.-U.États-UnisUnited States

Health

Abbreviation/AcronymFrench DefinitionEnglish Definition
PsyPsychologuePsychologist
SAMUService d'Aide Médicale UrgenteEmergency medical services
IVGInterruption volontaire de grossesseAbortion
SIDASyndrome Immunodéficitaire AcquisAIDS
ADNAcide DésoxyribonucléiqueDNA

Housing

Abbreviation/AcronymFrench DefinitionEnglish Definition
Bât.BâtimentBuilding
AlA louerFor rent
Appt.AppartementApartment
Asc.AscenseurElevator
Ch.ChambreRoom
Disp.DisponibleAvailable
Et.ÉtageFloor
SDBSalle de bainsBathroom
SDFSans domicile fixeHomeless
HLMHabitation à loyer moderéSocial housing

Work, Law and Money

Abbreviation/AcronymFrench DefinitionEnglish Definition
CVCurriculum VitaeResume
TTCToutes taxes comprisesIncluding all taxes
HTHors taxesExcluding taxes
FDPFrais de portShipping costs
CBCarte bancaireCredit card
CDIContrat à durée indéterminéePermanent contract
SMICSalaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissanceMinimum wage
RIBRelevé d'identité bancaireBank account details
PMEPetites et moyennes entreprisesSmall and medium sized businesses
PVProcès-verbalSummary report of events
TIGTravaux d'intérêt généralCommunity service
ONGOrganisation non-gouvernementaleNon-governmental organization
ONUOrganisation des Nations UniesUnited Nations
UEUnion EuropéenneEuropean Union

More Useful Abbreviations and Acronyms

Abbreviation/AcronymFrench DefinitionEnglish Definition
Hist.HistoireHistory
KiQuiWho
C.À.DC'est à direIn other words
RDVRendez-vousAppointment, meeting
HSHors serviceOut of service
NRVÉnervéNervous
BGBeau GosseGood looking guy
VaziVas-yGo ahead
MDRMort de rireDying of laughter, LOL
C caC'est çaThat's right
Je reJe reviensI'll be back
JTMJe t'aimeI love you
RSVPRépondez s'il vous plaîtRespond, please
PersoPersonellementPersonally
Le bacLe baccalauréatBig exam taken at the end of high school
ApéroApéritifPre-dinner snack/drinks

The best way to pick up on these abbreviations is to see them used in context. This will happen most often when texting but you may also see them be used in emails, presentations or even in speech! You might even see them in videos. 

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Sure you’re not going to be using these abbreviations and acronyms all the time, but the important thing here is to at least have an idea of what they mean when you really need them, you never know when they can come in handy!

And One More Thing...

If you like learning French at your own pace and from the comfort of your device, I have to tell you about FluentU.

FluentU makes it easier (and way more fun) to learn French by making real content like movies and series accessible to learners. You can check out FluentU's curated video library, or bring our learning tools directly to Netflix or YouTube with the FluentU Chrome extension.

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One of the features I find most helpful is the interactive captions—you can tap on any word to see its meaning, an image, pronunciation, and other examples from different contexts. It’s a great way to pick up French vocab without having to pause and look things up separately.

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FluentU also helps reinforce what you’ve learned with personalized quizzes. You can swipe through extra examples and complete engaging exercises that adapt to your progress. You'll get extra practice with the words you find more challenging and even be reminded you when it’s time to review!

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You can use FluentU on your computer, tablet, or phone with our app for Apple or Android devices. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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