Here I have for you a pretty complete list (I think) of acronyms and their corresponding English acronyms or just their translation/definition. You definitely donât have to know what each of them stands for, just knowing the acronym itself will do (and believe me, youâll meet them regularly in daily French). To make it easier, I underlined the ones whose complete expression/meaning you should still know if you wanna learn them; some are used in daily life, some in more specific domains like geography and economics, and some are simply known by most French people even if the complete expression is rarely used; itâs up to you to pick the ones thatâll be useful to you!
ADN (acide désoxyribonucléique) = DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
ALENA (Accord de libre-échange nord-américain) = NAFTA (North American free trade agreement)
AOP (Appellation d'origine protégée) = PDO (Protected designation of origin)
APL (Aide personnalisée au logement) = Personal housing allowance
AVC (accident vasculaire cérébral) = stroke, cerebrovascular accident
BCBG (bon chic bon genre) = posh, preppy
BD (bande-dessinée) = comic, graphic novel
BO (bande originale) = OST (original soundtrack)
BTS (Brevet de technicien supĂ©rieur) = advanced technicianâs certificate
CAF (Caisse dâallocations familiales) = welfare office, family allowance department
CDD (contrat à durée déterminée) = fixed-term contract, temporary contract
CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée) = permanent contract
Or CDI (centre de documentation et d'information) = school library
CM (cours magistral) = lecture (university)
CNED (Centre national d'enseignement Ă distance) = National distance learning center
CPE (conseiller principal d'Ă©ducation) = chief education adviser (secondary school)
CRS (Compagnie républicaine de sécurité) (un CRS) = State security police force, riot police
DDASS (Direction départementale des affaires sanitaires et sociales) = Department of health and social security
EDF (Electricité de France) = French national electricity supplier
EDT (emploi du temps) = timetable, schedule
ENA (Ecole nationale dâadministration) = a business school in Strasbourg from which a lot of politicians graduate
ENT (Environnement numĂ©rique de travail) = virtual learning environment (most secondary schools and unis have it; you can check your homework, grades and timetable online, contact your teachers, see if any of them is absentâŠ)
ESPT (Ă©tat de stress post-traumatique) = PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
EU[A] (Etats Unis [dâAmĂ©rique]) = US[A] (United States [of America])
DOM-TOM (DĂ©partements et territoires d'Outre-Mer) = Overseas departments and territories
FAQ (foire aux questions) = same acronym, the meaning was just adapted to still fit the letters in French
FLE (français langue étrangÚre) = French as a foreign language
FMI (Fonds monétaire international) = IMF (International monetary fund)
FN (Front national) = former name of the far-right political party (National front); now called âle Rassemblement nationalâ (RN) = National rally
HLM (habitation à loyer modéré) (un HLM) = social housing
HS (hors service) = out of order, out of service
Or HS (hors sujet) = off topic, out of scope
IVG (interruption volontaire de grossesse) = abortion
JT (journal télévisé) = TV news
LEA (Langues Ă©trangĂšres appliquĂ©es) = AFL (Applied foreign languages) (I honestly added it mostly because itâs my major in uni hehe)
LR (Les RĂ©publicains) = the Republicans (right-wing party)
LREM (La RĂ©publique en marche) = Macronâs political party (centre party)
MJC (Maison des jeunes et de la culture) = community youth club and arts center
MST (maladie sexuellement transmissible) = STD (sexually transmitted disease)
NTIC (nouvelles technologies de l'information et de la communication) = NICT (new information and communication technologies)
OCDE (Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques) = OECD (Organisation for economic cooperation and development)
OGM (organisme génétiquement modifié) = GMO (genetically modified organism)
OMC (Organisation mondiale du commerce) = WTO (World trade organization)
ONG (organisation non gouvernementale) = NGO (non-governmental organization)
ONU (Organisation des nations unies) = UN (United nations)
OTAN (Organisation du traitĂ© de lâAtlantique nord) = NATO (North Atlantic treaty organization)
OVNI (objet volant non-identifié) = UFO (unidentified flying object)
PDV (point de vue) = POV (point of view)
PIB (Produit intérieur brut) = GDP (Gross domestic product)
PMA (Pays les moins avancés) = LDC (least developed countries)
or PMA (Procréation médicalement assistée) = ART (Assisted reproductive technology)
PNB (Produit national brut) = GNP (Gross national product)
PS (Parti socialiste) = left-wing party (Socialist party)
PV (procĂšs-verbal) = ticket, fine (for traffic and parking)
QCM (questionnaire Ă choix multiples) = multiple-choice questionnaire
RAS (rien Ă signaler) = nothing to report
RIB (relevé d'identité bancaire) = bank details (document)
RNB (Revenu national brut) = GNI (Gross national income)
RSA (Revenu de solidarité active) = tax credits/welfare
SAV (service aprĂšs-vente) = after-sales service
SAMU (Service dâaide mĂ©dicale dâurgence) = paramedics ; SAMU member = EMT (Emergency medical technician)
SDF (sans domicile fixe) = homeless person
SIDA (Syndrome dâimmunodĂ©ficience acquise) = AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
SMIC (Salaire minimum interprofessionel de croissance) = minimum wage
SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français) = national French rail network (I hate them lololol)
SPA (Société protectrice des animaux) = society for the prevention of cruelty to animals (UK equivalent = RSPCA)
TD (travaux dirigés) = tutorial, seminar (college class in small groups)
TDAH (trouble du dĂ©ficit de lâattention/hyperactivitĂ©) = ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) (I donât see the acronym a lot, mostly just âhyperactivitĂ©â or âtrouble de lâattentionâ but this is still the equivalent to the English acronym)
TGV (train Ă grande vitesse) = high-speed train
TOC (trouble obsessionnel compulsif) = OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)
TP (travaux pratiques) = practical class (mostly in university or science classes in general)
TVA (taxe sur la valeur ajoutée) = VAT (value-added tax)
UE (Union européenne) = EU (European Union)
VIH (Virus de lâimmunodĂ©ficience humaine) = HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus)
VO (version originale) = original language (movie, showâŠ)
VOST (version originale sous-titrée) = subtitled version (any language for the subtitles)
VOSTFR (version originale sous-titrée en français) = subtitled version (French subs)
ZEP (Zone d'Ă©ducation prioritaire) = Educational priority area
ZES (Zone économique spéciale) = SEZ (Special economic zone)
