100 English Words Used in French (You’ll Never Guess Number 7)

“J’ai envoyé un e-mail ce matin depuis mon smartphone.”
“On se retrouve ce week-end pour un brunch ?”

Did you notice anything unusual? These sentences are full of English words, but they sound perfectly natural in French!

French has borrowed hundreds of English words over the years, especially in the fields of technology, fashion, sport, and business. Some of these borrowed terms have been adapted to French pronunciation and spelling, while others remain unchanged.

But here’s the twist: some English words have been so transformed by French pronunciation that they’re almost unrecognizable to native English speakers. And wait until you see Number 7… You probably had no idea the French use this word!

In this article, you’ll discover 100 common English words used in French and how they’ve become part of everyday conversation. Let’s explore how English has shaped modern French!

Why Do the French Use So Many English Words?

English has influenced the French language for centuries, but the trend has accelerated since the 20th century, particularly after World War II and with the rise of American pop culture, business, and technology.

According to Larousse, many English terms have been adopted without modification because they fill a lexical gap in French or simply because they sound more modern or fashionable. For example:

Le week-end (weekend) — No French equivalent sounds as natural.

Un smartphone — The French alternative téléphone intelligent exists but is rarely used.

English terms are especially dominant in business, technology, and pop culture. And while some French speakers try to resist these borrowings, many have been embraced as part of everyday language.

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100 English Words Used in French Listed by Categories

Here’s the full list of 100 English words commonly used in French, organized by category.

Technology and the Internet

English has left a strong mark on French tech vocabulary, especially with the rise of the internet and digital communication.

#	English Word	French Usage	Example
1	E-mail	Un e-mail	Je t’envoie un e-mail ce soir.
2	Internet	L’internet	J’ai trouvé l’info sur internet.
3	Chat	Un chat	On fait un chat vidéo ce soir ?
4	Smartphone	Un smartphone	J’ai perdu mon smartphone hier soir.
5	Hacker	Un hacker	Il est devenu hacker à 15 ans.
6	Wi-Fi	Le Wi-Fi	Le Wi-Fi fonctionne mal aujourd’hui.
7	Bug	Yes, the French say un bug to describe a computer glitch! Imagine hearing Mon ordinateur a un bug — it sounds surprisingly familiar, right?
8	Stream	Un stream	Je regarde un stream en direct.
9	Blog	Un blog	J’ai lancé un nouveau blog.
10	Fake news	Une fake news	Attention aux fake news !
11	Firewall	Un firewall	Le firewall protège votre réseau.
12	Spam	Un spam	J’ai reçu trop de spams aujourd’hui.
13	Cloud	Le cloud	Mes fichiers sont dans le cloud.
14	Bluetooth	Le Bluetooth	Active le Bluetooth pour connecter l’appareil.
15	Laptop	Un laptop	J’utilise mon laptop pour travailler.

Fashion and Lifestyle

Fashion and lifestyle trends often come with English terms that French speakers have adopted effortlessly.

#	English Word	French Usage	Example
16	Style	Le style	Elle a du style.
17	Fashion	La fashion	Cette tenue est très fashion !
18	T-shirt	Un T-shirt	J’ai acheté un T-shirt blanc.
19	Jeans	Un jean	Il porte des jeans troués.
20	Cool	Cool	Ce mec est vraiment cool.
21	Vintage	Vintage	Cette veste est super vintage.
22	Make-up	Le make-up	Elle a fait son make-up elle-même.
23	Mascara	Le mascara	Elle porte du mascara waterproof.
24	Body	Un body	Elle porte un body noir sous sa veste.
25	Streetwear	Le streetwear	Le streetwear est très tendance cette saison.
26	Lifting	Un lifting	Elle a fait un lifting du visage.
27	Snob	Snob	Il est un peu snob.
28	Crash	Un crash	Il y a eu un crash boursier.
29	Jazz	Le jazz	J’adore le jazz classique.
30	Rock	Le rock	Ils écoutent du rock américain.

Sports and Leisure

Many sports terms in French come directly from English, especially in football, tennis, and other global sports.

#	English Word	French Usage	Example
31	Football	Le football	Le football est très populaire en France.
32	Tennis	Le tennis	Elle joue au tennis depuis 5 ans.
33	Coach	Un coach	Il a un super coach.
34	Corner	Un corner	Il a tiré un corner parfait !
35	Rugby	Le rugby	Le rugby est un sport très physique.
36	Golf	Le golf	Le golf est son sport préféré.
37	Score	Un score	Le score est de 2-1.
38	Sponsor	Un sponsor	Il a trouvé un sponsor pour son équipe.
39	Match	Un match	On regarde le match ensemble ce soir ?
40	Sprint	Un sprint	Il a terminé la course par un sprint.

Transformed Words (Unique to French)

Some English borrowings have been so adapted to French pronunciation and usage that they’ve become almost unrecognizable to native English speakers. These transformed words highlight how French speakers make foreign terms their own.

#	English Word	French Usage	Example
41	Clown	Un clown	Il fait le clown en classe.
42	Smoking	Un smoking	Il porte un smoking noir.
43	Footing	Un footing	Je fais du footing le matin.
44	Babyfoot	Un babyfoot	On fait une partie de babyfoot ?
45	Flipper	Un flipper	J’adore jouer au flipper.
46	Camping	Un camping	Nous sommes allés dans un camping cet été.
47	Pressing	Un pressing	Je vais chercher mes vêtements au pressing.
48	Basket	Des baskets	Il porte des baskets blanches.
49	Shampoing	Un shampoing	Ce shampoing sent très bon.
50	Parking	Un parking	Il y a un parking derrière l’hôtel.

Additional 50 English Words Used in French

#	English Word	French Usage	Example
51	Replay	Un replay	Je regarde le replay du match.
52	Sandwich	Un sandwich	J’ai mangé un sandwich au fromage.
53	Ketchup	Le ketchup	Tu veux du ketchup avec tes frites ?
54	Hot-dog	Un hot-dog	On a mangé des hot-dogs au parc.
55	Cheeseburger	Un cheeseburger	Je prends un cheeseburger avec des frites.
56	Muffin	Un muffin	Elle a fait des muffins au chocolat.
57	Brownie	Un brownie	Ce brownie est délicieux !
58	Cookie	Un cookie	Il a mangé un cookie aux pépites de chocolat.
59	Toast	Un toast	Je prends un toast avec du beurre.
60	Cocktail	Un cocktail	Il a préparé un cocktail maison.
61	Weekend	Un weekend	On part en weekend à la mer.
62	Shopping	Le shopping	On va faire du shopping demain.
63	Jackpot	Un jackpot	Il a décroché le jackpot !
64	Sketch	Un sketch	Ce sketch est très drôle !
65	Top	Un top	Cette chanson est dans le top 10.
66	Barbecue	Un barbecue	On organise un barbecue ce weekend.
67	Club	Un club	On se retrouve au club ce soir ?
68	Break	Un break	On fait une petite pause ?
69	Bachelor	Un bachelor	Il a obtenu son bachelor en économie.
70	Interview	Une interview	Elle a passé une interview ce matin.
71	Jackpot	Un jackpot	Il a décroché le jackpot !
72	Stand	Un stand	Il y avait un stand de crêpes à la fête.
73	Kit	Un kit	J’ai acheté un kit de survie.
74	Speaker	Un speaker	Le speaker a annoncé le vainqueur.
75	Whip	Un whip	Ce whip est impressionnant !
76	Light	Une light	Cette light est trop forte.
77	Replay	Un replay	On regarde le replay du match ?
78	Benchmark	Un benchmark	Il a fait une étude de benchmark.
79	Jackpot	Un jackpot	Il a gagné le jackpot !
80	Press	La press	La press a couvert l’événement.
81	Poker	Le poker	Il joue au poker tous les week-ends.
82	Basket	Un basket	Il porte des baskets blanches.
83	Replay	Un replay	Je regarde le replay du match d’hier.
84	Sketch	Un sketch	Il a écrit un sketch très drôle.
85	Partner	Un partner	Il est mon partner commercial.
86	Cool	Cool	Ce type est vraiment cool.
87	Jazz	Le jazz	Elle adore le jazz classique.
88	Popcorn	Le popcorn	On a pris du popcorn au cinéma.
89	Fast-food	Le fast-food	On va dans un fast-food ?
90	Hamburger	Un hamburger	Je prends un hamburger avec du fromage.
91	Sponsor	Un sponsor	Il a trouvé un sponsor pour son projet.
92	Cocktail	Un cocktail	Ce cocktail est délicieux !
93	Briefing	Un briefing	Il y a un briefing à 9h.
94	Feedback	Un feedback	Merci pour ton feedback !
95	Brunch	Un brunch	On se retrouve pour un brunch dimanche ?
96	Consultant	Un consultant	Il travaille comme consultant en finance.
97	Handicap	Un handicap	Il a réussi malgré son handicap.
98	Copyright	Un copyright	Il a déposé un copyright pour son livre.
99	Leader	Un leader	C’est un vrai leader dans son domaine.
100	Fan	Un fan	Il est fan de ce chanteur.

What Does the Académie Française Say About English Words Used in French?

French dictionnary english words used in english

The Académie Française, founded in 1635, aims to preserve the purity of the French language. It regularly recommends French alternatives to common English borrowings — with mixed success.

For example:

Instead of e-mail, the Académie suggests courriel.
Instead of weekend, they propose fin de semaine.
Instead of hashtag, they recommend mot-dièse — though most people still say hashtag.
In a 2017 statement, the Académie warned that:

“L’usage immodéré d’anglicismes, notamment dans les domaines du numérique et de la communication, menace la clarté de notre langue.”
(The excessive use of anglicisms, particularly in technology and communication, threatens the clarity of our language.)

Despite these efforts, many English terms have become so embedded in French that they appear in dictionaries like Larousse and Le Robert. You can explore the Académie’s official recommendations here: www.academie-francaise.fr.

How French Canadian Tries to Resist Anglicisms

Canada French Part Anglicsim English Words Used in French

Quebec takes a more protective stance toward anglicisms than France. The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) actively promotes French alternatives and encourages the population to avoid English terms. While the French say weekend and email, Quebecois French sticks to the official terms:

Weekend → Fin de semaine
Email → Courriel
Shopping → Faire les courses
Wi-Fi → Accès sans fil
Hashtag → Mot-clic
Airbag → Coussin gonflable
Soft (as in a drink) → Boisson gazeuse
Parking → Stationnement

In Quebec, it’s not uncommon to see legal or governmental pressure to reinforce these alternatives. For example, advertising and public signage are legally required to be in French, and businesses have been fined for using English terms without a proper French equivalent.

This protective approach reflects Quebec’s broader effort to preserve its cultural identity in an English-speaking environment.

French & English: A Language Exchange That’s Here to Stay

The influence of English on French is undeniable, from everyday conversation to business, fashion, and pop culture. While the Académie Française continues to advocate for linguistic purity, and Quebec remains protective of its French identity, many English borrowings have become so integrated into French that they now feel natural.

Language is constantly evolving, shaped by cultural exchange and global trends. Whether you hear weekend or fin de semaine, email or courriel, the blending of French and English reflects the adaptability and richness of both languages. Embracing this dynamic exchange is not a threat to French — it’s a testament to its ability to grow and thrive in a connected world.

“Chaque langue est une vision du monde; perdre une langue, c’est perdre une vision.” (“Each language is a vision of the world; to lose a language is to lose a vision.”) –Michel Serres, French philosopher

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