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French · Vocabulary · A2 to B2

Technology in French: un mail or un courriel, l’ordi, and the arobase

One thing, up to three words · pick one
JeIt’envoieto-you-sendun mail.an email
zhuh ton-VWA uhn MEL · “I’ll send you an email.”

Short answer: everyday French in France borrows freely from English (un mail, le wifi, un smartphone) and loves short forms (l’ordi, l’appli). Official bodies, and Quebec in daily life, prefer French-built words: un courriel (email), un pourriel (spam), clavarder (to chat). Some words are French everywhere: l’ordinateur, télécharger, le mot de passe. The @ is l’arobase.

Verbs in the passé composé

J’ai téléchargé, j’ai supprimé, je me suis connecté

Tech verbs are regular -er verbs, so the past participle ends in -é. Se connecter is reflexive, so it takes être.

télécharger · to download
J’aiI-havetéléchargédownloadedla mise à jour.the update
zhay tay-lay-shar-ZHAY la meez a ZHOOR · “I’ve downloaded the update.”
envoyer · to send
Tu asyou haveenvoyésentle lien ?the link
tü a on-vwa-YAY luh LYAN · “Did you send the link?”
enregistrer · to save
J’aiI-haveenregistrésavedle document.the document
zhay on-ruh-zhees-TRAY luh do-kü-MON · “I’ve saved the document.”
supprimer · to delete
Il ahe hassupprimédeletedla photo.the photo
ee-la sü-pree-MAY la fo-TOH · “He’s deleted the photo.”
se connecter · to log in
Je me suisI myself amconnecté.logged-in
zhuh muh swee ko-nek-TAY · “I’ve logged in.”
recharger · to charge
J’aiI-haverechargéchargedmon portable.my phone
zhay ruh-shar-ZHAY mon por-TABL · “I’ve charged my phone.”
partager · to share
Elle ashe haspartagésharedla vidéo.the video
eh-la par-ta-ZHAY la vee-day-OH · “She’s shared the video.”
mettre à jour · to update
J’aiI-havemis à jourput to dayl’appli.the app
zhay mee a ZHOOR la-PLEE · “I’ve updated the app.”
Short forms everyone uses

L’ordi, l’appli, le portable, le texto

Reading out an email address

claire point martin arobase orange point fr

claire.martin_75@orange.fr
@arobasea-ro-BAZ.pointPWAN_tiret du bastee-RAY dü BA-tirettee-RAY/slashSLASH.frpoint f rPWAN ef-AIR
Texting shorthand

slt, mdr, stp, jsp

slt cv ?Salut, ça va ? · salut = hi · ça va = it goessa-LÜ, sa VA“Hi, how are you?”
oui et toi ? tu fais quoi ce soirOui, et toi ? Tu fais quoi ce soir ? · tu fais quoi = you do whatWEE, ay TWA? tü fay KWA suh SWAR“Yes, you? What are you doing tonight?”
jsp encoreJe ne sais pas encore. · je sais pas = I know not · encore = yetzhuh nuh say pa on-KOR“I don’t know yet.”
viens stp, on regarde le matchViens, s’il te plaît, on regarde le match. · viens = come · stp = please · on regarde = we watchVYAN, seel tuh PLAY, on ruh-GARD luh MATCH“Come, please, we’re watching the match.”
mdr okMort de rire, OK. · mort de rire = dead of laughingmor duh REER, o-KAY“LOL, OK.”
sltsaluthi
cvça vahow are you / fine
stps’il te plaîtplease
mdrmort de rireLOL
jspje sais pasdunno
bcpbeaucoupa lot
pkpourquoiwhy
dsldésolésorry
Tech life in the French-speaking world

Le Minitel, le droit à la déconnexion

Le Minitelluh mee-nee-TELFrance’s pre-internet online network, launched in 1982 and switched off only in 2012.
Le droit à la déconnexionluh drwa a la day-ko-nek-SYONSince 2017, French employees have a legal right not to answer work emails after hours.
L’Office québécois de la langue françaiselo-FEESS kay-bay-KWA duh la LONG fron-SEZQuebec’s language office coins French tech words, from courriel to égoportrait (selfie).
Le mot de l’annéeluh moh duh la-NAYFrench official terms sometimes catch on: logiciel (software) and numérique (digital) beat their English rivals.
Keep going

Related guides

j’ai envoyéPassé composé →J’ai téléchargé, je me suis connecté.le QuébecFrancophone world →French beyond France, from Quebec on.mdrSlang →More informal French.le télétravailWork vocabulary →La réunion, le mail, le télétravail.