Tac, euh, bah: french language tics you hear every day

DISCOVER FIVE WORDS THAT FRENCH PEOPLE USE BUT THAT HAVE NO REAL MEANING Most languages have little words or sounds that are said without any real intention as a reflex or language tic - and

these are particularly common in French. Sometimes people mutter them to themselves or use them in conversation to emphasise what they are saying. They often do not have a real meaning and

those saying them will barely be conscious of using them. Here is our list of the most widely used ones that you can have a go at incorporating into your French to sound more like a native.

HOP This word sounds a bit like saying ‘up’ in a French accent, with the ‘o’ sound being very similar to a ‘u’. It is often used when completing a minor task. For example, when you finish

stacking the dishwasher, you could say _hop_ to mark the ending of the task. Here is an example in one of the most famous cult classic films, Brice de Nice. [embedded content] The titular

character calls someone on the phone. The person answers and says _allo, oui?_ (hello, yes?) to which Brice says _Non, rien_ (no, nothing) before hanging up. He then says_ Allez hop, ça

c’est fait_ (No, nothing. Right, that is done), verbally ticking it off his to-do list. It is often combined with _allez_ (come on). For example, if you are feeling lazy and finally get up

to go and do something, you could say _allez hop_ as you stand up to help motivate yourself. _Allez hop_ is also used to get people to do something. If your child will not get out of bed,

you can gently say _allez hop, on se lève _(come on, let’s get up). TAC _Tac_ is a similar word that is widely used and once you start hearing it, you will not stop noticing it. In general,

it can be used whenever you do anything, such as picking something up or taking off your shoes. If someone hands you a form to sign, they are likely to say _tac_ as they do. READ MORE: TRY

SWAPPING SYLLABLES IN FRENCH WORDS TO SOUND LIKE A NATIVE It sounds exactly as it looks, as in ‘tack’. An English equivalent is ‘there’ if you are handing something to someone, or

‘tick/check’ if you are completing tasks from a mental checklist. PAF Another sound used to signify that a task is complete is _paf_. It is difficult to say which of the three words above is

more or less common, but _paf_ is probably the least widely used. It is also the sound used for when someone falls or gets hit by something: _et là, paf! Il se la prend dans la tête! _(And

then, boom! It hit him in the head) EUH This is the word used instead of ‘umm’ or ‘err’ to express hesitation or uncertainty. It sounds very similar to ‘err’ except with a round mouth and a

French accent. BAH People will use this word to accentuate whatever they are expressing, whether that is disagreement, surprise, disgust or indifference. For example, if someone says

something you disagree with, you can say _bah non, ce n’est pas vrai _(no, that is not true). A common response to a child asking ‘why?’ is _bah parce que c’est comme ça_ (because that is

how it is). It can also be employed to show that something is obvious: “_c’est à toi?” “Bah oui_” (‘Is this yours?’ ‘Of course’) READ MORE HEIN? A LITTLE WORD THAT HELPS YOU SOUND MUCH MORE

FRENCH FIVE TIPS FOR LEARNING TO SPEAK FRENCH IN LATER LIFE THE FRENCH ARE NOT NEGATIVE - IT IS JUST A (BODY) LANGUAGE THING