Phrases used by young people in France in 2026
Have you heard any of these idioms before?
There are many new terms that have found their way into everyday language among young people in France
Xavier Lorenzo/Shutterstock
New words are always popping up in French, and particularly so if you are surrounded by young people or spend a lot of time on social media.
It is all part of the development of a language, but keeping up to date with all the new words that make their way into everyday conversation can be difficult.
In most cases, new words that are used by young people come from other languages entirely, from regional dialects or from rap.
New words get spread quickly through the widespread use of social media.
Il m’a mis un tunnel - to drone on and on
You are forgiven if you do not understand the meaning behind the term se mettre un tunnel - when speaking to a French person recently, they admitted that they had asked what it meant when they first heard it used.
Be warned - you do not want to be accused of “putting someone in a tunnel”. It refers to when someone embarks on a long monologue, and where the person on the receiving end of it sees no end. It expresses the idea of someone droning on and on about something not very interesting.
Il m’a coincé hier soir à la soirée et m’a mis un tunnel - He cornered me last night at the party and trapped me in conversation.
Askip - apparently/it seems that
Widely used by young people in 2026 both in conversation and on social media, askip is a contraction of à ce qu’il parait, which in English translates to apparently.
Askip il n’est pas là aujourd'hui - Apparently he is not here today.
PNJ (personnage non joueur)
Another phrase you do not want used in association with you - PNJ or personnage non joueur.
The phrase comes from the world of role play - largely related to Dungeons and Dragons - and is linked, like the name suggests, to characters who are non players and therefore feature in the game to support the principal characters, rather than having their own purpose.
However, in the modern lexicon, PNJ has become a frequently used insult amongst young people, suggesting someone is a bit useless or without any real purpose.
Un pain
Un pain is the new term to describe a crush. It is often used in the same way as bg (beau gosse) to describe someone who is good-looking.
Mon pain could also be used as a term of endearment to describe a romantic partner.
It comes from Nouchi, which is a form of Ivorian slang that originated in Cote d’Ivoire during the 1970s-80s.
Along the same lines, ma go can be used to describe my girlfriend.
Chokbar
Chokbar simply means very shocked. It comes from choquer paired with the slang suffix “bar” which is often used in informal French.
You may also hear people say “chokbar de bz”. Bz comes from baisé and is used in this instance to signify something extraordinary. For example, une soirée de bz would refer to an extraordinary or crazy night.
Un blaze
Un blaze translates to the name or a nickname of a person or an artist. It comes from the word blason, which dates back to the days of a coat of arms.
It has been largely popularised through rap music.
Goumin
We are all familiar with heartbreak, and now French young people have a new word to describe this unique pain.
Also originating from Nouchi, it is used to describe the intense feeling of grief associated with heartbreak.
For example, je suis en plein goumin means I am completely heartbroken.
C’est guez
C’est guez is simply another way of saying c’est nul (it is rubbish).
It is thought to have appeared first in the early 2000s, but is used more commonly today. It describes something that’s a bit uncool or sometimes as an insult about someone.
