fils de pute
/fis də pyt/
The English phrase 'mf' is translated into French as fils de pute.
This is an extremely vulgar insult used to describe a person as despicable or hateful. Other terms exist for less intense insults: salaud can be translated as a 'bastard' or 'jerk' and connard is an informal way to call someone a 'jerk' or 'asshole'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase fils de pute literally translates to 'son of a whore'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase fils de pute is grammatically masculine. The feminine equivalent is fille de pute.
Did you know?
- The word pute likely comes from the Latin word pūtidus, meaning 'stinking' or 'fetid'.
- In certain French subcultures, fils de pute is sometimes used as a general exclamation or an intensive rather than a direct attack on a person.
- Despite being a very common insult in French, the word fils is a direct cognate of the Spanish 'hijo' and the Italian 'figlio'.
Examples in context
- Ce fils de pute m'a volé mon sac.That son of a bitch stole my bag.
- Je déteste ce fils de pute.I hate that despicable person.
- Quel fils de pute, il est vraiment méchant.What a piece of shit, he is truly hateful.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are walking in the street when a driver cuts them off aggressively.
- HugoQuel fils de pute, il a failli nous renverser !What a piece of shit, he almost hit us!
- ChloéIl est vraiment odieux, Hugo.He is truly obnoxious, Hugo.
- HugoIl ne respecte rien du tout.He respects nothing at all.
- ChloéLaisse tomber, ne lui donne pas d'importance.Forget it, don't give him any importance.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry fils de pute, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, fils, fils de pute, pute, CC BY-SA 4.0.
