Navigate digital life in French — tech vocabulary, texting abbreviations, social media, and internet culture, including key vocabulary differences between France and Canada.
Estimated Time: 40–50 minutes
| English | 🇫🇷 France | 🇨🇦 Canada |
|---|---|---|
| computer | un ordinateur | un ordinateur |
| laptop | un (ordinateur) portable | un portable / un laptop |
| cell phone | un portable | un cellulaire (un cell) |
| smartphone | un smartphone | un téléphone intelligent |
| tablet | une tablette | une tablette |
| un e-mail / un mail | un courriel | |
| to email | envoyer un mail | envoyer un courriel |
| spam | le spam / le pourriel | le pourriel |
| website | un site web / un site internet | un site web |
| to chat online | tchatter | clavarder |
| username | un nom d'utilisateur | un nom d'utilisateur |
| password | un mot de passe | un mot de passe |
| to download | télécharger | télécharger |
| to upload | téléverser / mettre en ligne | téléverser |
| Wi-Fi | le Wi-Fi / le wifi | le Wi-Fi |
| software | un logiciel | un logiciel |
| file | un fichier | un fichier |
| folder | un dossier | un dossier |
| keyboard | un clavier | un clavier |
| screen | un écran | un écran |
| mouse | une souris | une souris |
| printer | une imprimante | une imprimante |
In France, un portable usually means a cell phone. In Canada, un portable usually means a laptop. Cell phone in Canada = un cellulaire. Context usually makes it clear, but this can cause confusion!
French texting has its own abbreviation system, similar to English's "u" for "you":
| SMS | Full French | English |
|---|---|---|
| slt | salut | hi |
| bjr | bonjour | hello |
| bsr | bonsoir | good evening |
| stp / svp | s'il te plaît / s'il vous plaît | please |
| mrc / mci | merci | thanks |
| dsl | désolé | sorry |
| pk / pq | pourquoi | why |
| pcq / psk | parce que | because |
| jsp | je sais pas | I don't know (idk) |
| jsui | je suis | I am |
| tkt | t'inquiète (pas) | don't worry |
| mdr | mort de rire | "dying of laughter" (= LOL) |
| ptdr | pété de rire | even funnier than mdr (= LMAO) |
| cc | coucou | hey there |
| bcp | beaucoup | a lot |
| tt | tout | all / everything |
| a+ | à plus (tard) | see you later |
| @+ | à plus | see you later (variant) |
| koi 2 9 ? | quoi de neuf ? | what's new? (using number phonetics) |
MDR (mort de rire) is the French equivalent of LOL. You'll see it constantly in texts, social media, and chat. PTDR (pété de rire) is even stronger — like LMAO. France and Canada both use these, though Québécois texters also use "lol" directly.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| les réseaux sociaux | social media / social networks |
| un abonné / un follower | a follower |
| s'abonner à | to follow / subscribe to |
| un j'aime / un like | a like |
| partager | to share |
| publier / poster | to post |
| un fil d'actualité | a news feed |
| un mot-clic (🇨🇦) / un hashtag (🇫🇷) | a hashtag |
| en ligne / hors ligne | online / offline |
| un balado (🇨🇦) / un podcast (🇫🇷) | a podcast |
| diffuser en continu / streamer | to stream |
| French | English |
|---|---|
| passer un coup de fil / appeler | to make a phone call / to call |
| décrocher / répondre | to pick up / answer |
| raccrocher | to hang up |
| laisser un message | to leave a message |
| la boîte vocale / le répondeur | voicemail |
| un texto / un SMS | a text message |
| envoyer un texto | to send a text |
| une appli(cation) | an app |
France: 10 digits, read in pairs: 06 12 34 56 78 → "zéro six, douze, trente-quatre, cinquante-six, soixante-dix-huit." Mobile numbers start with 06 or 07.
Canada: 10 digits (area code + 7): (514) 555-1234 → same format as US phone numbers.
1. What does "MDR" mean in French texting?
2. In France, "un portable" usually means:
3. What is the Canadian French word for "hashtag"?
✦ Key differences: portable (🇫🇷 = phone, 🇨🇦 = laptop), courriel (🇨🇦) vs e-mail (🇫🇷).
✦ MDR = LOL, PTDR = LMAO. French SMS: slt, bjr, stp, tkt, jsp, dsl.
✦ Québec coins French alternatives: clavarder, mot-clic, balado, pourriel.
✦ French phone numbers are read in pairs; Canadian numbers follow the US format.