GSM
🇧🇪 French slang from Belgium
What does “GSM” mean?
mobile phone
Example
“J'ai oublié mon GSM à la maison.”
I left my phone at home.
Good to know
Named after the mobile standard. France says 'portable'.
Who you can say it to
Fine with anyone
☕ Everyday
The textbook way to say it: un portable
Heard in a conversation
Saint-V night in Brussels
Nicolas On se retrouve à mon kot vers 10 h, puis on va au cortège ensemble.
We'll meet at my student room around 10, then we'll go to the parade together.
Charlotte Tof ! Je prendrai mon GSM chargé, l'année passée je t'ai perdu dans la foule.
Great! I'll bring my phone charged, last year I lost you in the crowd.
Nicolas Et pas comme l'an passé, hein. Tu disais que tu avais bu nonante bières !
And not like last year, eh. You were saying you'd drunk ninety beers!
📱 How other countries say “mobile phone”
- 🇫🇷 portableFrance · Often just 'tel' or 'phone'.
- 🇨🇦 cellQuébec
More from Belgium
- septante / nonanteseventy / ninety
- une foisjust, a sec (softener)
- savoir (= pouvoir)can, to be able to
- s'il vous plaîthere you go
- brolmess, junk
- kotstudent room
- drachedownpour
- non, peut-êtreyes, of course!
Songs from Belgium
- Papaoutai · StromaeLevel A2
- Bruxelles je t'aime · AngèleLevel A2
- Alors on danse · StromaeLevel B1
- Santé · StromaeLevel B1
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