Top of words and expressions that are only heard in Strasbourg and Alsace

These words we hear in Alsace, because French was too basic

A schmoutz

The kiss from our region! After a good meal at grandma's, you always have to thank her with a schmoutz.

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A schlouk

We could compare it to a sip. In short, if you're not very thirsty and someone offers you a drink, say "just a schlouk, thank you" and it will go down smoothly.

Schatz

Schatz comes from German and means treasure. In Alsace, it's the sweet nickname we give to our loved one, the "baby" of the East, in a way.

A stück

A little bit, the equivalent of a sip but with solid food, taking a stück of cake is like taking a piece. It's like saying "I'm not really hungry anymore, but just to please you, give me a stück."

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Les schlopps

Slippers, house shoes, flip-flops: call them what you want, here we put on our schlopps when we walk through the door.

La finette

When it's cold, you need to wear a finette! The "France from within" will rather use the terms "marcels" or tank tops... Some Alsatian grannies will also say "hemdele" (little shirt)!

Le foehn

When the warm wind from the Alps blows through the Rhine Valley, bringing dry and warm weather to the region, we call it the foehn. It's a sure sign that the weather is going to change!

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Le bierbüch

There isn't really an equivalent in the dictionary for this term that means "beer drinker's belly". Yes, when these gents drink too much beer and their stomach is nice and round, they have a bierbüch!

Frèch

If you're frèch with your parents, it's not great. Yes, it's the insolent or cheeky one here. People from Haut-Rhin say frach but this is Le Bonbon Strasbourg, not Le Bonbon Mulhouse.

La tirette

Clearly, "zipper", as we say...It was too long. So when we're cold, we zip up our vest, even if sometimes it can get stuck.

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The Kneckes

"Kneckes" means "kid" but can also be used as the equivalent of "rascal". In the streets of Alsace, you might hear "sacré kneckes!" or "you're a real kneckes!", it's all the same.

Extrawurst

If someone calls you an "extrawurst", it means you're being picky or fussy about food!

Ratcher (or quatch)

When the village gossips are chatting, we'll say they're "ratching"!

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These Alsatian expressions, to remind people where they are

Ça geht ?

The "How you doin'?" from Joey in Friends, but with a local twist.

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Hopla (geiss)!

Hey there, this is a little bit of our own "let's go". We use it in all sorts of ways, whether to say "come on", to encourage someone, to say "there, it's done," or even to apologize after bumping into someone.

You know

This one, the Alsatians (especially our elders) use it. Every. End. Of. Sentence. It means "you know", but we use it like the French "you see?" You know?

Or what?

Same usage as "you know" here: the sentences didn't ask for it, but hopla we add it anyway. Of course, "or what?" is interchangeable with a nice "right?". Okay, shall we continue or what?

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They Want Good Weather

Is rain forecasted this Saturday according to the Parisian colleague? Fortunately, Catherine Laborde wants sunshine this weekend. It would be silly to contradict her.

And Above All, Health!

The typical expression we hear on every birthday. And New Year's. And simply when saying goodbye. Yes, a conversation on the street always ends with "okay bye, and above all, good health!"

Gsundheit/Health

As you may have guessed, health is important in Alsace. So, if someone sneezes, you might hear either "gsundheit" or "santé." "Bless you"? Don't know her.

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It's All Good!

As "santé" was already used to say "bless you," we needed another expression to say "to your health" or "cheers!"

Customer Service!

You ask for help in a store, and once you've found the perfect item, you give a friendly "thank you" to the salesperson? Expect a "customer service!" or even a "d'service!" in return, with a lovely accent as a bonus.

There's a Draft

You open the window and there's a draft. Well, yeah, there's a bit of a breeze if you prefer.

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Show me

"Daddy, I have an owie!" says the child, to which the father replies, "Show me! Wow, that's nothing." And it also works with "pass it to me", "repeat it to me..."

As they say

The French know "as they say in the saying" and others. But in the land of sauerkraut, "as they say" is very, very often used. Like "as they say, see you later!". But, "as they say, it's no big deal."

Having some späck

Späck = fat. We know about the summer body, but there's also the "Alsatian body".

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An extra: onomatopoeia, those that really show where we come from

Yo!

This one is to be used anywhere, anytime. For example, when your son tells you he's getting married: "Yo! Stop it!" Or when he's cheeky with you "Yo, have you finished talking to me like that?" Or even better, when you want to remind him of the importance of household chores: "Hey yo! Don't forget to take out the trash!" Obviously, not to be confused with the "yo" from the suburbs, you know.

Yeuuuuuh!

In other places, you might hear "oooh", "mooooh" etc. Here, in front of a cute little puppy, we might say "yeuuuuuh, hi cutey!" Oh yeeeeh! You can also write it as "oyééé", as long as you don't pronounce it as "oh yeah". It's used in various situations, but usually goes with surprise, those kinds of emotions. For example, when someone asked if you had studied for the math test and you replied with a "oh yeehhh I completely forgot, oh darn!" via GIPHYIn short, even if they want nice weather, don't forget to zip up your jacket and wear a scarf just in case it gets chilly, you know? Take care, friends! 🌞🧣🧤🌬️🌧️🌈✨🌸🤗🎉🥂