French Text Speak: mdr, jsp, bcp — Decode Your French DMs

Your first real French DM will look like a cat walked on the keyboard: « slt, jsp si g le tps auj, dsl mdr ». That’s normal French texting — and it runs on rules you can learn in ten minutes. Here’s the decoder.

The essentials

The sound-spelling tricks

Half of texto is phonetics, not abbreviation. Letters are read by their NAMES: c = c’est, g = j’ai (both sound right when read aloud!), t = t’es. Numbers join in: 2m1 = demain, a12c4 = à un de ces quatre (see you around). And spelling relaxes: koi = quoi, oé = ouais, jamé = jamais.

Grammar in fast-forward

Real texting French is spoken French written down: the ne of negation vanishes (« je sais pas » → jsp), e muet drops exactly like in speech (« j’suis » — the pattern from our e muet lesson), and question marks do all the work: « tu viens ? »

When NOT to use it

Texto lives in DMs and group chats between friends. Emails to your prof, message to your landlord, anything work-related: full sentences, full words. French formality survives digitization — a « slt » to the wrong person lands like a wink at a funeral.

FAQ

Do French people still write « mdr » or is it dated?

Alive and universal. Ptdr is the stronger variant; jpp adds exasperated affection. LOL itself is understood but reads slightly 2010.

What does « wesh » mean?

A greeting from Arabic via French rap — « wesh, ça va ? ». Very informal, very common among younger speakers. Use with friends only.

How do I type French accents on my phone?

Long-press the letter (a → à, e → é è ê). In texto, accents are optional anyway — « ca va etre bien » raises zero eyebrows in a DM.

Quick practice

Keep going: Text-speak’s spoken cousin is argot: French slang 101.