Language Registers in French
What are the different language registers in French?
We do not speak the same way to a close friend, a city hall employee, a teacher, or a parent. We speak a lot, but we do not always speak in the same way! We must adapt our expression to a particular audience and a particular situation. In French, these different ways of speaking are called language registers (registres de langue).
Traditionally, three main registers are distinguished:
- Informal register (registre familier)
- Neutral / standard register (registre courant)
- Formal register (registre soutenu)
To differentiate them, several elements must be considered: the richness of vocabulary, the complexity of syntax, the quality of expression, etc.
The table below presents the three registers in detail.
The Three Language Registers
| Informal register | Neutral register | Formal register | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Situation |
oral model used with close people (intimacy) spontaneous speech absence of hierarchy or constraints |
standard language (international French) some distance with the interlocutor neutral exchanges in everyday situations (school, work, media) |
written model (used in many literary works) cultivated social environment polite tone non-spontaneous speech hierarchical relationship |
| Vocabulary |
everyday vocabulary familiar or slang terms (sometimes vulgar) |
common vocabulary no specialized or sophisticated terms |
rich, refined, sometimes rare vocabulary literary or poetic terms |
| Syntax |
abbreviations broken constructions repetitions, ellipses (sentences without verbs, etc.) omission of ne in negation no tense agreement |
grammar rules respected simple indicative tenses (past simple, future, etc.) coordinated and simple subordinate clauses |
grammar rules respected use of subjunctive, conditional, etc. tense agreement complex sentence structures |
| Pronunciation | syllables swallowed | standard pronunciation | careful articulation and correct liaisons |
| Figures of speech | exaggeration (hyperbole), periphrases, common expressions (see Figures of Speech) | neutral tone, few stylistic effects | metaphors, chiasmus, stylistic effects (see Figures of Speech) |
| Example | T’as pas vu mes godasses ?Haven’t you seen my kicks? | Tu n’as pas vu mes chaussures ?Haven’t you seen my shoes? | N’aurais-tu pas vu mes chaussures, par hasard ?You wouldn’t happen to have seen my shoes, by any chance? |
