It can be difficult enough to learn French, and then you realise that there is a whole other language to learn in the form of French acronyms and initialisms, which can be quite the minefield! I have often seen people complaining on online forums about people using acronyms and begging to know what they mean, and to be honest I didn’t realise until I started writing this article just how common they are in everyday French language.
Rather than just listing them in alphabetical order I thought it might be easier to group them together under different categories to give more context.
WORK
If you are going to be employed in France one of the first things to ask is if it is a CDI or a CDD contract. A CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée) is an open-ended contract with no end date. Most French people dream of obtaining a CDI as this opens the door to an easier life in terms of getting loans, buying or renting or anything else which requires proof of regular income.
A CDD (contrat à durée déterminée) is a fixed-term contract and can be for temporary cover, or seasonal due to needing more staff during a certain period.
The SMIC (salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance) means the minimum wage in France and is recalculated every year.
If you are giving or receiving quotes or invoices you will need to know if the price is HT (hors taxe) which is without VAT or TTC (toute taxe comprise) inclusive of VAT. VAT in French is TVA (taxe sur la valeur ajoutée).
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Living France.
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This story is from the February 2020 edition of Living France.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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