meuf
/mœf/
The English phrase "shorty" can be translated into French as meuf.
The term meuf is an informal way to refer to a woman, girl or chick.
Meaning: a short person (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
meuf is an informal term used to refer to a woman or girl.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of meuf is meufs, which translates to women, girls or chicks.
How do you pronounce it?
/mœf/
Did you know?
- The word meuf is an example of 'Verlan', a type of French slang where syllables are inverted. It is created by reversing the syllables of the word 'femme' to produce 'meuf'.
- While 'shorty' in English can be a term of endearment, using meuf to address a woman in France can often feel blunt or even disrespectful depending on the tone. It is primarily used among peers in casual settings.
- If you were to use the 'Verlan' technique on many other French words, you would find a whole secondary vocabulary used by youth in urban areas. For example, 'fou' becomes 'ouf'.
Examples in context
- Ça va, pitchoune? T'as passé une bonne journée?How are you, shorty? Did you have a good day?
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are looking at a group of people.
- ChloéRegarde cette meuf, elle est vraiment petite !Look at that girl, she is really short!
- LucasOui, elle est minuscule à côté de toi.Yes, she is tiny compared to you.
- ChloéC'est mignon comme meuf.She's a cute shorty.
- LucasC'est vrai, elle est adorable.That's true, she is adorable.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry meuf, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries meuf, CC BY-SA 4.0.
