J'aime ce truc !

The word Truc is one of my favorite French word. I first heard it in 2008 while I was working at the French School of Lagos. Some group of students asked me if they could leave the permanence class that I was supervising to go to the library to study. I told them no because I had earlier got a call from the library attendant asking me not to send anymore student to them as the whole place was filled up.

Not happy with my refusal, they decided to ask a colleague for permission when he came to assist me. Suddenly I heard my colleague scolding one of them and I asked him what the student did after she went back to her seat. He said can you imagine she just called you Madame Truc. Even if she doesn't know your name that doesn't give her the right to call you Madame Thing. The annoying thing is she is african. Doesn't she also have respect ni ?

I wasn't angry she called me that.. I never let the students get to me with their rudeness or behaviour. When it gets too much, I report them to the conseiller d'education and they get punished. Case closed.

On getting home, I decided to do some digging about the meaning of the word. I had fallen inlove with it. Truc. Madame Truc. Lol!!!

Here is what I found :

Truc has three meanings :

1. It can mean "tip"
2. It can mean "trick"
3. It can mean "thing"

Tip : A secret information or advice given to be helpful

Ex :

J'ai un truc pour gagner de l'argent sur l'internet
I have a tip to make money online

Tu veux que je te disse un truc pour perdre du poids rapidement ?
Do you want me to give you a tip to lose weight quickly ?

Tips my grandmother gave me

Trick : A prank, a joke, or an illusion

Ex :
Je connais un truc pour attirer l'attention de la fille
I have a trick/stunt to attract the attention of the girl

Thing : It is used with family and friends to describe someone or something you don't know the name.

Ex :

C'est vrai. C'est Truc qui m'a dit ça !
It's true. It was "what's-his-name" who told me so!

Je n'ai pas mon téléphone. C'est Truc qui me l'a pris !
I am not with my phone. It was "what's-his-name" who has it !

Il y a un truc dans tes cheveux
There's something that has gotten stuck in your hair

J'ai un truc à faire ce soir avec ma mère
I have something to do with my mum tonight

On raconte des trucs sur elle.
They are saying some nasty stuff about her.

Il y a un truc qui t'embête mais tu ne veux pas me le dire.
There is something bothering you but you don't want to tell me.

La danse, c'est pas mon truc
I don't like dancing / Dacing is not my thing

Chacun son truc
To each his own

Ex :

Les Français mangent des grenouilles. Beurk. Chacun son truc. Mais moi je ne pourrai jamais le manger!
French people eat frogs. Yuck. Each to their own. Personally, I can never eat it.

Chacun a son truc pour être heureux.
Everyone has their own way of being happy

Truc de filles
Something girls / a girl thing / a woman thing

Ex :

Je ne regarde pas la série Desperate Housewives. C'est un truc de filles !
I don't watch the series Desperate Housewives. It's for ladies !

Source : trucdefilleonline.com

Truc de fou / truc de malade / truc de ouf /  truc de dingue
Crazy stuff / something incredible

Ex : 

Le nouveau film de Spiderman est un truc de malade

J'ai trouvé un truc de ouf/truc de malade!

I discovered something 

Truc con / truc idiot / truc stupid

Stupid thing 

Ex :

Il a dit un truc très idiot que j'avais eu envie de lui foutre une claque dans la gueule 

He said something very stupid that I was tempted to give him a dirty slap

 

Truc marrant
Something funny

Ex :

J'ai pété quand il m'a dit un truc marrant en classe
I farted when he told me a funny joke / something funny in classe

 There's an energy drink in France called "Truc de Fou".

Source : miamz.fr

S'il y a des trucs that I forgot to add, please leave a message below :)