6 of the best French chat-up lines, from the sleazy to the sublime

As it’s the day after Valentine’s Day, it seems timely to give you a rundown of some of the finest chat-up lines in the French language.

For more love-themed posts, why not check out my list of French songs that are perfect for Valentine’s Day here?

Have a look at these ‘phrases de séduction’ below, and let me know what you think!

1. Si t’étais un sandwich à McDo, tu serais le Mc-nifique!

Translation: If you were a sandwich at McDonalds, you’d be the Mc-Nificent!

I really like this one – not sure I’m brave enough to try it out though!!

2. Tu t’appelles Google? Parce que je trouve en toi tout ce que je recherche.

Translation: Is your name Google? Because, in you, I’ve found everything that I’m looking for.

Whether you’re into technology or not, you have to admit that Google has made life easier for lots of people now.

What better way to show your gratitude to the search engine than by name-checking it in your chat-up line?

3. J’ai oublié mon numéro de téléphone, tu peux me prêter le tien?

Translation: I’ve forgotten my phone number. Can you lend me yours?

A word of warning: this one’s probably best attempted with someone who’s got a sense of humour.

4. Est-ce que tu as un plan? Je me suis perdu(e) dans tes yeux.

Translation: Do you have a map? I’m lost in your eyes.

Perhaps not the slickest of chat-up lines, but it’s a nice compliment all the same.

5. Si le verbe ‘aimer’ n’existait pas, je l’aurais inventé en te voyant.

Translation: If the verb ‘to love’ didn’t exist, I would have come up with it after seeing you.

This grand declaration of your feelings for your paramour has the added bonus of sounding vaguely philosophical.

For best results, get hold of a copy of L’Être et le Néant or Mémoires d’une fille bien rangée (or anything else by Sartre or de Beauvoir, to be honest), a strong black coffee and hang around the cafés on the Left Bank in Paris.

6. T’as de beaux yeux, tu sais.

Translation: You’ve got lovely eyes, you know.

An oldie but a goodie, this was first heard in the film Le Quai des Brumes, after it was said by Jean Gabin’s character to Michèle Morgan.

Although it’s now a bit of a cliché, this rather elegant chat-up line will mark you down as a smooth operator, while your knowledge of classic French cinema is sure to impress the object of your affection.

To watch the film clip that the phrase comes from, click here.