# French words that will get you laughed at

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Updated 2026-11-03 · By Jacob Pradels · HTML version: https://learnwithkin.com/french/embarrassing-words

> Don't use *baiser* as a verb for "to kiss": today it's vulgar, "to have sex". Say *embrasser*. A *préservatif* is a condom; a food preservative is a *conservateur*. And to say you're hot, it's *j'ai chaud*, not *je suis chaud*, which sounds like you're up for it.

Most of these look like English, or like the French you learned from an old textbook. Nobody will be offended, but you'll probably get a laugh.

## Baiser

Old books and dictionaries say *baiser* means "to kiss". It used to. As a verb today, it's a vulgar word for sex. The noun is still fine: *un baiser* is a kiss.

*Saying it safely*

| Instead of | Say | Means |
| --- | --- | --- |
| il m'a baisée | il m'a embrassée | he kissed me |
| baise-moi | embrasse-moi | kiss me |
|  | un bisou | a kiss, casual |

## The rest


| Say this | And it means | When you meant | Say |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| un préservatif | a condom | a preservative | un conservateur |
| je suis chaud | I'm up for it, I'm horny | I'm hot | j'ai chaud |
| je suis excité | I'm excited, or I'm horny | I'm excited | j'ai hâte |
| je suis pleine | said of an animal: pregnant | I'm full | j'ai trop mangé |

*Je suis chaud* isn't always about sex. *T'es chaud pour un ciné ?* is just "up for a movie?", and in Canada *chaud* can mean drunk. But said on its own, on a hot day, it'll get a look.

*Excité* is the gray one. Plenty of French speakers say it for "excited", especially about an event. *J'ai hâte* (I can't wait) is the version nobody will smirk at.

## Why j'ai chaud

French says you *have* heat, the same way it says you have hunger (*j'ai faim*) and you have cold (*j'ai froid*). *Je suis* describes what you are, so *je suis chaud* describes you, not the weather.

## Questions

### Does baiser mean to kiss?

Not as a verb anymore. Today it's a vulgar word for sex. Say *embrasser* for "to kiss". The noun *un baiser* still means a kiss.

### What does préservatif mean in French?

A condom. A preservative in food is *un conservateur*.

### How do you say "I'm hot" in French?

*J'ai chaud*. *Je suis chaud* means you're up for something, and often that you're horny.

### Does excité mean excited?

It can, but it can also mean horny, so it's easy to get a laugh. *J'ai hâte* (I can't wait) is the safe way to say you're excited.

## Sources

- baiser. Wiktionary. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/baiser
- préservatif. Wiktionary. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pr%C3%A9servatif
- chaud. Wiktionary. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chaud
- excité. Wiktionary. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/excit%C3%A9
- plein. Wiktionary. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/plein

## Related

- [avoir conjugation](https://learnwithkin.com/french/conjugations/avoir.md)
- [French verb conjugations](https://learnwithkin.com/french/conjugations.md)
- [Numbers in French](https://learnwithkin.com/french/numbers.md)

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