décontracté
/de.kɔ̃.tʁak.te/
The English word 'casual' translates to French as décontracté.
décontracté is used to describe a person's demeanor or an atmosphere that is informal and relaxed. If you want to describe a lack of formality in rules, settings or social structures, the word informel is more specific. For a more informal way to say someone is acting in a chill or easygoing way, you can use the expression À la cool, which is borrowed from English.
Meaning: informal, relaxed (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed from the prefix dé- (undoing or reversing) and contracté (contracted), so it literally means 'uncontracted' or 'relaxed'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form is created by adding an extra -e to the end of the masculine form to get décontractée. For plural nouns, the masculine plural form is created by adding an -s to the end of the masculine singular form to get décontractés, while the feminine plural form is created by adding -es to the end of the feminine singular form to get décontractées.
How do you pronounce it?
/de.kɔ̃.tʁak.te/. It has 4 syllables.
When do people say it?
In a casual situation signifying an absence of stress, you can also use the informal term Tranquille, which means 'calm' or 'relaxed'.
Did you know?
- In a French workplace, calling a colleague décontracté can be a subtle insult implying they lack rigor or are unprofessional.
- The word tranquille is used in modern slang as a one-word answer to mean 'it is all good' or 'no problem'.
- The phrase À la cool is a pseudo-anglicism, meaning it sounds English but is a distinctly French slang construction.
Examples in context
- L'ambiance était décontractée et détendue.The atmosphere was casual and relaxed.This sentence shows how to use décontracté to describe an atmosphere.Tatoeba #12866747 by lbdx, translation #2884112 by Hybrid
- On passe la soirée à la cool, rien de prévuWe're just hanging out casually, nothing planned
- On a prévu une petite soirée relax entre potesWe planned a casual hangout with friends
- Il a un style très décontracté.He has a very casual style.
- J'aime bien ce café, c'est très décontracté.I like this cafe, it's very casual.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are choosing what to wear for a party.
- ChloéTu vas porter quoi pour la soirée ?What are you going to wear for the party?
- NathanJe veux rester décontracté avec un jean.I want to stay casual with some jeans.
- ChloéC'est une bonne idée, Nathan.That's a good idea, Nathan.
- NathanEt toi, tu préfères quelle tenue ?And you, what outfit do you prefer?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry décontracté, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
