French Conversation · Level 121
59 words
French word
verlan
Pronunciation
IPA/vɛʁlɑ̃/
Meaning
- masculine nounback slang
Example
Ils parlent en verlan entre amis.
They use back slang among friends.
More examples
Dans les films, on entend souvent du verlan.
In films, you often hear verlan.
Core concept
A word whose sound pieces are turned around to make a fresh colloquial form.
Common phrases
parler en verlan
speak in verlan
un mot en verlan
a word in verlan
utiliser le verlan
use verlan
Similar words
argot: Slang or coded language used within a particular group.
langue familière: Informal language used in everyday conversation.
Definition in French
Terme d'argot qui désigne la création d'un nouveau mot par permutation des sons, syllabes ou groupes phonétiques d'un mot, caractéristique du registre familier.
Word origin
Verlan comes from l'envers, meaning 'the reverse', reshaped by reversing its syllables and adjusting the sounds.
Usage tips
- Verlan is masculine: standard forms include le verlan and du verlan.
Opposites
- français standardstandard Frenchnoun
- langue standardstandard languagenoun
Related words
- verlaniserverlanizeverb
- verlaniséverlanizedadjective
- verlanisationverlanizationnoun