flic
/flik/masculine
The French word for cop is flic. Wiktionary also lists keuf and poulet.
Meaning: police officer (informal) (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| flic | /flik/ | masculine |
| keuf | /kœf/ | masculine |
| poulet | /pu.le/ /pu.lɛ/ |
masculine |
| police | /pɔ.lis/ | Quebec, feminine |
The terms provided are all ways to refer to a police officer. While flic is a slang term, the formal term for a police officer is Officier de police. A Gendarme typically refers to a police officer who is a member of the national police force known as the Gendarmerie nationale.
Which one should you use?
While flic and poulet are both slang, flic is more common in general conversation, whereas poulet is often perceived as more derogatory or old-fashioned slang.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
flic and poulet are both derogatory slang terms. In contrast, Officier de police is the formal way to say police officer.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the feminine form police is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of the slang term flic is flics.
How do you pronounce it?
/flik/
Did you know?
- The slang term keuf is an example of verlan, a type of French slang where syllables are reversed. It is derived from the word flic via the intermediate form keufli.
- The term gendarme implies a specific status: they are military personnel performing police duties, rather than standard civilian officers.
Examples in context
- Un flic a été tué.A cop was killed.This sentence is useful for showing a statement about a cop being killed.Tatoeba #3642158 by sacredceltic, translation #2280256 by CK
- T'es flic ou quoi ?Are you a cop or something?This sentence is useful for asking someone if they are a cop.Tatoeba #4060768 by sacredceltic, translation #3730707 by CM
- Je ne suis pas flic.I'm not a cop.This sentence is useful for stating that you are not a cop.Tatoeba #3642168 by sacredceltic, translation #2549707 by CK
- Vous pouvez demander l'aide de l'officier de police le plus proche.You can ask for help from the nearest police officer.
- J'ai vu des policiers en patrouille dans le quartier.I saw some cops on patrol in the neighborhood.
- Les flics sont arrivés rapidement pour résoudre le problème.The cops arrived quickly to solve the issue.
- L'agent de police m'a donné une amende pour excès de vitesse.The cop gave me a speeding ticket.
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are watching a police car drive past.
- EmmaRegarde, il y a un flic là-bas.Look, there is a cop over there.
- GabrielPourquoi ? Tu as fait quelque chose ?Why? Did you do something?
- EmmaNon, je déteste juste les flics.No, I just hate cops.
- GabrielC'est pas très sympa, Emma.That's not very nice, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cop” translations and entries flic, keuf, poulet, police, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries flic, keuf, police, poulet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
