Popular French Acronyms and Abbreviations

Popular French Acronyms and Abbreviations Lost in alphabet soup? Acronyms and abbreviations abound in French, especially in newspapers, on the news, and in political discussions. You might not be able to learn every French abbreviation and acronym, but you can get a good head start by memorizing this list of the most common ones. The ~ symbol indicates that the English equivalent is an approximation. AB agriculture biologique organic farming ADN acide dà ©soxyribonuclà ©ique DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) AEF Afrique à ©quatoriale franà §aise French Equatorial Africa AF allocations familiales ~ welfare, family allowance ALENA Accord de libre-à ©change nord-amà ©ricain NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) ANAEM Agence Nationale d'Accueil des Étrangers et des Migrations "National Agency for the Reception of Foreigners and Migration" ANPE Agence nationale pour l'emploi unemployment and job search agency AOC Appelation d'origine contrà ´là ©e guarantee of origin AOF Afrique occidentale franà §aise French West Africa API Alphabet phonà ©tique international IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) AR accusà ©/avis de rà ©ception return receipt requested, acknowledgement of receipt A.R. aller-retour round trip ASSEDIC Association pour l'emploi dans l'industrie et le commerce ~ agency for payment of unemployment BCBG bon chic bon genre preppy, Sloaney BD bande dessinà ©e comic strip BN Bibliothà ¨que nationale national library BNP Banque nationale de Paris large French bank BP boà ®te postale post office box BTP bà ¢timents et travaux publics public buildings and works sector BTS brevet de technicien supà ©rieur vocational training certificate bx bisous (at the end of a letter) ~hugs and kisses cd,cd c'estdire that is, i.e., I mean CAI Contrat d'Accueil et d'Intà ©gration agreement required of long-term visitors and residents of France CAP Certificat d'aptitude professionnelle required for employees who do not have a college degree CB carte bleue, carte bancaire debit card CCI Chambre de commerce et d'industrie Chamber of Commerce CCP compte chà ¨que postal postal checking account CDD contrat durà ©e dà ©terminà ©e job contract for a set duration CDI contrat durà ©e indà ©terminà ©e job contract for an indefinite duration CEDEX courrier d'entreprise distribution exceptionnelle ~ FedEx (early morning delivery service) CFA Communautà © financià ¨re africaine Community of French colonies in Africa which use a single monetary unit called the CFA franc CFP centre de formation professionnelle professional training center CGT Confà ©dà ©ration Gà ©nà ©rale de Travail ~ AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) Cie compagnie Co. (company) CIO Centre d'information et d'orientation career advisory center CNED Centre national d'enseignement distance Number one distance learning organization in Europe CNR Centre national de recherche National research institute COB Commission des opà ©rations de Bourse stock exchange regulatory commission: ~ SEC (US), ~SIB (UK) COD complà ©ment objet direct direct object pronoun COI complà ©ment objet indirect indirect object pronoun CP cours prà ©paratoire ~ first grade CPE Contrat Premià ¨re Embauche controversial job reform provision introduced in 2006 CRS Compagnie rà ©publicaine de sà ©curità © riot police squad CSA Conseil supà ©rieur de l'audiovisuel French broadcasting regulatory body, ~FCC CUIO Cellule Universitaire d'Information et d'Orientation organization of university-level study and career counselors CV curriculum vitae ~ rà ©sumà © DAB distributeur automatique de billets cash dispenser (ATM limited to withdrawals) DALF diplà ´me approfondi de langue franà §aise ~ TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) DEA diplà ´me d'à ©tudes approfondies ~ PhD minus the dissertation DELF diplà ´me d'à ©tudes en langue franà §aise ~ TOEFL DES diplà ´me d'à ©tudes supà ©rieures ~ Master's degree DESS diplà ´me d'à ©tudes supà ©rieures spà ©cialisà ©es ~ Master's degree + one year internship DEST diplà ´me d'à ©tudes supà ©rieures techniques ~ Master's degree in technical subject DEUG diplà ´me d'à ©tudes universitaires gà ©nà ©rales ~ Associate degree DGSE Direction gà ©nà ©rale de la sà ©curità © extà ©rieure ~ CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), MI6 (Military Intelligence 6) DILF diplà ´me initial de langue franà §aise ~ TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) DK dà ©ca (apocope of dà ©cafà ©inà ©) decaf (decaffeinated) DOM-TOM Dà ©partements d'outre-mer et Territoires d'outre-mer former colonies which remain French territories DSK Dominique Strauss-Kahn French politician accused of sexual assault in 2011 DST Direction de la surveillance du territoire ~ CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), MI5 (Military Intelligence 5) DT diphtà ©rie, tà ©tanos vaccine against diphtheria and tetanus EDF Électricità © de France nationalized French electric company É.-U.É.-U.A. États-UnisÉtats-Unis d'Amà ©rique US (United States)USA (United States of America) FLN Front de libà ©ration nationale Algerian political party FLQ Front de la libà ©ration du Quà ©bec Revolutionary organization in Canada which resulted in the "FLQ crisis" of 1970. FN Front National Far right political party (Jean-Marie Le Pen) FNAC Fà ©dà ©ration nationale d'achats des cadres ~ Borders (megastore for books, music, movies, + electronics) .fr (pronounced point f r) internet country code for France GAB guichet automatique de banque ATM (automated teller machine) GDF Gaz de France nationalized French gas company GE Gentil Employà ©e (au Club Mà ©diterranà ©e) Club Med employee G.I.G.-G.I.C. grand invalide de guerre -grand invalide civile severely disabled veteran - severely disabled person (found on handicapped parking signs) GM Gentil Membre (au Club Mà ©diterranà ©e) Club Med member/guest Go giga octet GB (gigabyte) GO Gentil Organisateur (au Club Mà ©diterranà ©e) Club Med organizer h heure (telling time) o'clock Hadopi Haute Autorità © pour la diffusion des Å“uvres et la protection des droits sur Internet Anti-piracy policing authority HLM Habitation loyer moderà © low-income housing HS hors service out of order HT hors taxe tax not included, subtotal Ifop Institut franà §ais d'opinion publique French public opinion research institute INSEE Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques national institute for statistics and economic studies IQF Invitation Quitter le Territoire order to a foreigner to leave France IVG interruption volontaire de grossesse abortion Jour J literally D-Day (6 June 1944), but can be used figuratively to mean "the big day" K7 cassette audio or video cassette - used in ads LCR Ligue Communiste Rà ©volutionnaire Trotskyist political party in France LEP lycà ©e d'enseignement professionnel vocational high school LlH Longueur, largeur, Hauteur lwh - length, width, height LO Lutte Ouvrià ¨re Trotskyist political party in France LOA location avec option d'achat leasing with the option to buy MEDEF Mouvement des Entreprises de France largest French job union MJC Maison des Jeunes et de la Culture Youth cultural center MLF Mouvement pour la libà ©ration de la femme French women's lib movement Mo mega octet MB (megabyte) MRAP Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l'amitià © entre les peuples French antiracism movement NAP Neuilly, Auteuil, Passy preppy, Sloany NDLR note de la rà ©daction editor's note NdT note du traducteur translator's note NF norme franà §aise approved French standard of manufacture, ~ seal of approval OGM organisme gà ©nà ©tiquement modifià © GMO (genetically modified organism) OLP Organisation de la libà ©ration de la Palestine PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) ONG organisation non gouvernementale NGO (non-governmental organization) ONU Organisation des Nations unies UN (United Nations) OPA offre publique d'achat takeover bid OS Ouvrier spà ©cialisà © unskilled or semi-skilled worker OVNI Objet volant non identifià © UFO (unidentified flying object) PACS Pacte civil de solidarità © legal alternative to marriage in France, with a provision for same-sex couples PAO publication assistà ©e par ordinateur desktop publishing PC poste de commandement HQ (headquarters) PC(F) Parti communiste (franà §ais) French Communist Party Pcc pour copie conforme certified copy PCV paiement contre và ©rification orpercevoir collect call (French on the phone) PDG prà ©sident-directeur gà ©nà ©ral ~ CEO (chief executive officer) PEE plan d'à ©pargne entreprise ~ 401k (except in France, the company puts in 3x the employee contribution) PEL plan d'à ©pargne logement ~ savings account for purchase of a home PIB produit intà ©rieur brut GDP (gross domestic product) PJ pià ¨ces jointes Enc. (enclosed in a business letter) PJ Police judiciaire ~ FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) PMA pays moins avancà ©s undeveloped countries PMU pari mutuel urbain OTB (off-track betting) PNB produit national brut GNP (gross national product) po pouce in. (inch) PS Parti socialiste Socialist Party; one of the three largest French political parties (Franà §ois Mitterrand, Sà ©golà ¨ne Royal) PT Parti des Travailleurs Trotskyist political party in France PTT Poste, Tà ©là ©communications et Tà ©là ©diffusion post office and telephone service P.-V. procà ¨s-verbal meeting minutesautomotive ticket or fine PVD pays en voie de dà ©veloppement developing countries qcm questionnaire choix multiple multiple choice test QG quartier gà ©nà ©ral HQ (headquarters), local pub R.A.S. rien signaler (informal) no problems/issues (e.g., on the condition portion of a car rental contract) RATP Rà ©gie autonome des transports parisiens Paris public transportation authority (mà ©tro and bus) rdc rez-de-chaussà ©e first floor (US), ground floor (UK) RER Rà ©seau express rà ©gional high speed train service between Paris + suburbs RF la Rà ©publique franà §aise the French Republic RIB relevà © d'identità © bancaire summary of bank information (for automatic payments) RMI revenu minimum d'insertion ~ minimum welfare payment, income support RN revenu nationalroute nationale GNP (gross national product)main road RPR Rassemblement pour la Rà ©publique French center-right political party; one of the three largest (Jacques Chirac) RSVP rà ©pondez s'il vous plaà ®t please respond (thus "please RSVP" is redundant) RTT rà ©duction du temps de travail reduction of working hours rv rendez-vous meeting, date SA socià ©tà © anonyme Inc. (incorporated), Ltd. (limited) SAMU secours d'aide mà ©dicale d'urgence ambulance SARL socià ©tà © responsabilità © limità ©e Inc., Ltd (limited liability company) SDF sans domicile fixe homeless (noun or adjective) Sida syndrome immunodà ©ficitaire acquis AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) SMIC salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance minimum wage SNCF Socià ©tà © nationale des chemins de fer franà §ais nationalized French train system SPA Socià ©tà © protectrice des animaux ~ASPCA (US), ~RSPCA (UK) SRM Socià ©tà © des rà ©dacteurs du Monde Society of Editors of Le Mondenewspaper SVP s'il vous plaà ®t please systà ¨me D le systà ¨me dà ©brouillard, le systà ¨me dà ©merder (informal) resourcefulness TEPA travail, emploi, pouvoir d'achat 2007 French fiscal package TGB Trà ¨s grande bibliothà ¨que nickname of the Bibliothà ¨que de France TGV train grande vitesse high-speed train TIG travaux d'intà ©rà ªt gà ©nà ©ral community service TNT tà ©là ©vision numà ©rique terrestretrinitrotoluà ¨ne national digital terrestrial television serviceTNT (trinitrotoluene) TPS tà ©là ©vision par satellite TV via satellite TTC toutes taxes comprises tax included TVA taxe sur la valeur ajoutà ©e VAT (value-added tax) UDF Union pour la dà ©mocratie franà §aise center-right French political party; one of the three largest (Franà §ois Beyrou) U.E. Union europà ©enne EU (European Union) U.L.M. ultra-là ©ger motorisà © ultralight (plane) UMP Union pour un Mouvement Populaire center-right French political party UNL Union Nationale Lycà ©enne national union for high school students URSAFF Union pour le recouvrement des cotisations de la sà ©curità © sociale et des allocations famiales Social Security UV unità © de valeur university course credit vf version franà §aise film dubbed into French vm version multilingue film with choice of sound and subtitles vovost version originaleversion originale sous-titrà ©e film shown in its original language with subtitles in French VTT và ©lo tout terrain mountain bike W.-C. water-closet bathroom, restroom (US); toilet, loo (UK) x fois (par exemple, 10x plus) times (for example, 10x more) X l'École Polytechnique nickname for top polytechnic school in Paris