Learning French: what does zapper mean and when should it be used?
Find out the meaning behind this unforgettable informal multipurpose onomatopoeic anglicism
This funny verb is often used by young people, meaning to skip or to forget something
Khosro / Shutterstock
Zapper is a handy French verb with several different meanings. It is popular with young people who use it to describe something that has slipped their mind.
We take a look at how else it can be used and reveal the related French slang name for a remote control.
What does zapper mean?
This fun multi-use French verb literally translates as, to zap.
Zapper can refer to the act of flitting between topics of conversation or surfing through television channels.
It can also mean that you have skipped an event or have forgotten something, much like the English phrase: it slipped my mind.
Read also: Exploring French anglicisms: Unique English-inspired words in French culture
What are the origins of zapper?
English speakers might recognise zapper as one of the many slang terms, like doofer and gizmo, referring to a television control.
In France however, zapper is a verb (although the modern term for a remote in France, une zappette, is pretty similar).
Zapper comes from the English word, zap, which was first used as an onomatopeic reference to the sound produced by certain electronic weapons or devices.
It became a verb (to zap) in 1942 and frequently appeared in pop art and futuristic comic strips such as Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century.
The word became synonymous with sci-fi, outer space, and teleportation. It is at this moment that zapper is thought to have integrated into the French language.
By 1982, use of the word to refer to channel-hopping became mainstream. TV channel Canal + ran a five-minute show called Le Zapping from 1989 to 2016, consisting of clips compiled from many different TV programmes.
It was then common to hear “cela finira au Zapping” (‘I will end up on Le Zapping’) when someone said something on-air that was deemed memorable enough to be included in Le Zapping.
Read also: Nine common filler words to help you better understand French
When do you say zapper?
The most mainstream way of using this verb is to describe channel flicking:
It can (informally) replace the verb to forget:
J'ai fait la grasse matinée mais j'ai zappé que j'avais un rendez-vous à 9h. - I slept in this morning but I forgot that I had an appointment at 9am.
T’as pris mon manteau ? Non, je suis vraiment désolé, j’ai complètement zappé. - Did you take my coat? No, I'm really sorry, I completely forgot.
One way of using this word is to describe someone who struggles to stick to one topic of conversation:
It can also refer - though it is more rare - to the sound produced by lasers or to the idea of making someone or something disappear:
Read also: Learn French with films and TV shows: enhance your language skills
To whom do you say zapper?
It is informal language and can be used with friends and family in casual conversation - particularly when replacing ‘to forget.’
Zapper as onomatopoeia can be used more flexibly as a playful term, which should not risk causing offence.
We hope this helpful guide has convinced you to integrate this word into your casual French toolkit, and not to zap it from your memory.
