putain
/py.tɛ̃/
The French word putain.
putain is considered a strong expletive in French.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, putain means 'prostitute'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When followed by the preposition de, the phrase putain de… functions as an intensifier for a noun, similar to the English 'fucking…'. An example of this is putain de merde (fucking shit).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /py.tɛ̃/.
Did you know?
- While it can express anger, putain is frequently used by French speakers as a punctuation mark to express surprise, joy, or even relief. A person might exclaim putain! when winning a game rather than being offended.
- In French, the word putain is a linguistic relative of the Italian puttana and the Spanish puta.
- The word putain has become so deeply embedded in the French lexicon that it can function as an 'interjection of nothingness'. This means it can be inserted into a sentence to fill pauses without adding any actual meaning to the thought.
Examples in context
- Putain, j'ai encore oublié mes clés.Damn, I forgot my keys again.
- Putain, il est déjà huit heures !Shit, it's already eight o'clock!
- Oh putain, c'est incroyable.Oh damn, that's incredible.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are waiting for a bus that is very late.
- ChloéLe bus n'est toujours pas là.The bus is still not here.
- LucasPutain, on va être en retard !Damn, we're going to be late!
- ChloéOn devrait prendre un taxi.We should take a taxi.
- LucasC'est une bonne idée, Lucas.That's a good idea, Lucas.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry putain, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
