"If you spend any time scrolling French TikTok, watching French YouTubers, or hanging out near a high school or university café in Paris, Marseille, or Lyon, you'll quickly notice that the French you learned in class isn't exactly what young people are speaking today. French Gen Z slang is a fast-evolving mix of , Arabic and Romani influences, texting shortcuts, and words born from rap and street culture."
"The word reuf is a staple among French youth, and literally comes from the verlan (a type of French slang in which syllables are inverted) of frère, meaning brother. It's used to refer to a close friend or buddy, the kind of person you trust and hang out with regularly. Think of it as the French equivalent of "bro" or "dude." You might hear someone say, "Yo reuf, prêt pour le match ce soir ?" ("Yo bro, ready for the match tonight?")"
French Gen Z slang diverges from classroom French and mixes verlan, Arabic and Romani influences with texting shortcuts, rap and street culture. Multicultural suburbs and social media accelerate the nationwide spread of these expressions across cities like Paris, Marseille, and Lyon. Common terms include reuf, a verlan form of frère used for close friends, and cassos, short for cas social, used to describe someone who seems lost or a mess. Context determines whether words like cassos are playful or insulting. Understanding these slang terms helps decode how teenagers and young adults communicate.
Read at Frenchly
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