10 Essential Abbreviations for Texting in French

Text messages possess a language of their own. With limited room, avid texters may find themselves relying heavily on abbreviations or even communicating solely through emoji.

As you continue on your French language journey, you will undoubtedly find yourself confronted with the reality of French texting, whether you are trying to send a message or decipher one you’ve received. But learning to navigate the world of text messages doesn’t have to be a painful process, you just need to memorise a few key abbreviations to be a texting success.

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So, check out these 10 essential French texting abbreviations and start tapping away today!

MDR (mort de rire)

The English translation for mort de rire is dying of laughter but MDR could be looked at as the equivalent of the much-used LOL (laughing out loud).

BJR (bonjour)

Bonjour is probably one of the first words you learned in French, so you already know it means hello or good day. But if you use the abbreviation BJR, its English equivalent would probably be closer to the shortened hi.

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Mr6 (merci)

Although this abbreviation probably looks like some sort of super-spy code, it really is just a shortened version of the word merci or thank you.

DSL (desolé)

This is a great abbreviation to remember because you’ll probably find yourself using it to apologize during your French texting struggles. DSL stands for desolé which, of course, means sorry.

A+ (à plus tard)

A+ doesn’t carry the same meaning in French texting as it does in English. You’d probably look at it and think it means top-notch, but in French, the abbreviation stands for à plus tard or see you later.

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A2M1 (à demain)

This is yet another abbreviation that looks like some sort of special code. However, if you read it out using French pronunciation you will soon see that it literally reads as à demain or see you tomorrow.

PK (pourquoi)

This one may be a bit tougher to understand because you can’t really pronounce it in order to find its meaning. Basically, PK stands for the French word pourquoi which means why.

JTM (je t’aime)

Since French is the language of love, perhaps this is the best abbreviation to have at hand. It translates as je t’aime which in English means I love you.

BCP (beaucoup)

Beaucoup is such a long word it’s no wonder the French found a way to make it more efficient in text messages! Beaucoup means a lot and is useful for many phrases. For example JTM BCP (je t’aime beaucoup). See, you’re already texting like a pro!

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6né (ciné)

If you’re planning on messaging your friends to see if they’re up for watching a movie, this is the one you want to use. If you pronounce it out you’ll realise it reads as ciné which is short for cinema (a.k.a movie theatre).

 

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As you’ve probably noticed, learning to text in French can be a fun and exciting experience. But even with these texting tips under your belt, you should be careful not to neglect the rest of your language education. Be sure to sign up for some top-tier language classes and take advantage of free trial classes in order to keep your language skills on the right track. Then, set yourself loose to impress your French colleagues and friends with your new texting prowess!