Bonjour gonzesse! Bien fait, mon ami! Garçon?!
Avoid these phrases if you’re currently learning French!
Trust me. Knowing what NOT to say in French can save you from some… pretty embarrassing moments. Let’s review some expressions that might seem perfectly fine but… aren’t.
Click here to watch ”What NEVER to say in French” on YouTube
1) Bien fait
The expression “Bien fait!” is not the same as the expression “Well done! / Congratulations!.” It’s almost the opposite, actually.
“Bien fait !” (on its own) is actually used as “Served you well” = “You deserved that bad thing that happened to you.”
Instead, you can say “Bien joué (well-played)” or “Bravo”.
Fun fact 1:
“Bien fait” is short for “Bien fait pour [someone]”, as in:
Bien fait pour toi. Bien fait pour elle. Bien fait pour moi…
Fun fact 2:
OK, to be fair, “bien fait” does mean “well done”… but as an adjective, inside a longer sentence! For instance:
C’est un travail bien fait. = It’s a job well done.
J’admire cette broderie. Elle est vraiment bien faite. = I’m admiring this embroidery. It’s really well done.
Tu as bien fait de m’appeler. = You did well to call me.
Fun fact 3:
We say: Un fromage bien fait = a runny cheese (especially camembert)
But: un steak bien cuit = a well-done steak
2) Mon Ami
“Mon ami” means “my friend,” but we don’t use it nearly as much as French characters on English-speaking media would lead you to believe. It’s a fun cliché, but saying “Bonjour mon ami” (= “Good morning, my dear friend.”) would make you sound like a weird XVIIIth century mousquetaire.
So just say “Bonjour” instead.
Just like “my friend,” you can still use it in a fuller sentence, like:
Je te présente mon ami Marc. Il a une crêperie près de Notre-Dame. = Let me introduce you to my friend Marc. He has a creperie near Notre-Dame.
Mon amie Julie est au Mont Saint-Michel pour la semaine. = My friend Julie is at Mont Saint-Michel for the week.
Diane est mon amie. = Diane is my close friend.
To be fair, “mon ami” is a bit more intimate than the English equivalent of “my friend.”
Click here to learn more:
French Friendship: Sayings and Expressions – Comme une Française lesson
3) Garçon !
In a restaurant in France, calling a waiter with “Garçon !” is outdated and might seem condescending or rude.
Instead, raise your hand, make eye contact with the waiter, and say “S’il vous plaît” to catch their attention.
4) Allons-y
Allons-y = let’s go (literally). But it’s not used nearly as often, in French.
“Allons-y” uses the 1st person plural of “nous”, which means “we” but sounds quite formal in everyday spoken French, among people you know.
Instead, with friends, we’d rather use:
- On y va ! (= Let’s go, but less formal this time)
- C’est parti ! (= “It’s going” = let’s go, off we go, it’s on…)
- Allez ! (= Come on!)
Click here to learn more:
French Vocabulary: “Allez” en français ! Comme une Française lesson
5) “Gonzesse” and other outdated slang
Some slang you learned might be outdated or simply offensive. For instance, Gonzesse for a woman is not to be used everywhere – in this case, simply use une femme (a woman) or une fille (a girl.)
In slang, you could also hear “une meuf” (= a woman, girl) and “un mec” (= a guy), which are still used.
The problem with slang is that, often, it’s either outdated already (here’s an online list of slang from the 2010s that’s already démodé, the list claims) or too cutting-edge to sound good from a French-learner… But using only proper French sounds formal and artificial. It’s a balancing act!
The key is probably to use the slang that you hear from other people around you. Or to simply use the slang that you like and embrace the awkwardness from time to time! It’s all OK, really.
→ If you enjoyed this lesson (and/or learned something new) – why not share this lesson with a francophile friend? You can talk about it afterwards! You’ll learn much more if you have social support from your friends 🙂
6) Mademoiselle!
Mademoiselle = “Miss”, for young (unmarried) women
It’s been officially discarded, and deemed sexist, and it’s replaced in official forms by a general Madame (= madam, Mrs.) for all women.
Using mademoiselle in everyday life is a matter of context.
Obviously, yelling “Mademoiselle!” in the street to harass young women (as some individuals do) is a big no – but more subtly, it can be used as a way for older people (most often men) to be condescending towards younger women.
On the other hand, it can be an endearing and respectful term in a grandmotherly way or in fancy parties.
All in all, I don’t think you should use it… but you might hear some people use it and it can be fine!
And you? What other “fake French” expressions do you know of? What’s your biggest pet peeve like these in your own language? Answer in the comments – in French, if you dare!
You can keep learning real everyday spoken French with your next lesson:
French people never do these 5 things Comme une Française lesson
À très vite!
See you next time!
I did not know about the mademoiselle one. I have asked French friends about Amie. They say you can use.it if you are close friends, but not acquaintances. I laughed at the Zut Alors because it was in our French textbooks 40 years ago!
Interesting… and very helpful! I shall be watching out for mistakes on certain TV programmes from now on!🤣