# dork / geek / nerd



## Yaya

I was just curious if there were any simple translations for these. All of them basically mean the same thing in English (to me). thanks

Moderator note: several threads on this subject have been merged.


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## Eddie

Hi, Yaya!

Oddly enough, _geek_ is used in French. But two French words can be considered equivalents of all three terms: pingouin or trolleur. I'm sure my illustrious colleagues will provide you with even more equivalents.

[...]


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## Yaya

hey Eddie!

(...) Thanks for the help!


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## Benjy

isnt a trolleur/pingouin more used to describe someone who "trolls" a forum?
ps this is a gues and not an affirmation.. just prom what i've seem reading a few french gaming forums.


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## Eddie

Benjy,

We certainly need to do a bit more research on these slang words. I ony quoted the words used by a few French speakers where they used _geek_ and _pingouin/trolleur_ interchangeably. I'm waiting for input from our native French participants on this forum.

Ed


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## Nico5992

Benjy said:
			
		

> isnt a trolleur/pingouin more used to describe someone who "trolls" a forum?
> ps this is a gues and not an affirmation.. just prom what i've seem reading a few french gaming forums.


I'd say that benjy is absolutely right. I've never heard "trolleur" nor "geek" in any conversation. I guess it's only used on French forums, with which I'm not familiar enough to confirm the meaning of these words.
"Pingouin" you might hear once in a while, but it's meant to mock someone's outfit, if he wears a very posh suit (a tailcoat for example).


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## fetchezlavache

but a geek, as in a computer geek, can't be meaning the same as 'trolleur' can it ? is a 'trolleur' someone who 'trolls' on fora ? i'm totally ignorant of french fora. odd. i'd like a clarification of what these words mean in english please, if someone can help me out here.

ps never heard 'geek' in french at all.


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## Cath.S.

En français, la seule chose qui me vienne à l'esprit, c'est "petit intello coincé", just to get the ball rolling!


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## fetchezlavache

hmmmmmf. j'ai toujours cru qu'un 'geek' ((notamment dans son acception 'computer geek )) c'était une sorte de fanatique dans son domaine, au point d'en oublier tout le reste. pas forcément intello. mais je n'ai aucune certitude <hangs head in shame>


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## Jabote

Moi j'ai toujours compris "geek" comme étant "une tête", un crack, comme on disait d'mon temps, dans un domaine particulier...


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## Cath.S.

Geek on its own (= nerd = dork= is derogatory. No one would ever say "you're a real geek" as a compliment!


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## Eddie

Fetchez,

This is for you. I may have quoted the wrong words (from a Frenchman), but I have no doubt as to the meaning of these words in English since they originated in the United States.

The words nerd, geek, dork, dweeb, etc. are first of all insults used _primarily_ by teenagers and young adults to demean any of the members of their peer group whom they do not accept. These words existed before the era of universal ownership of computers. During that time, nerds and geeks were those who were wedded to their computer games and their joysticks. The only distinction between these words is the addition of the word _computer_: a computer nerd, a computer geek. One does not, however, say a computer dork/dweeb.

These social outcasts are typically thought of as dull socially. They are often bookworms that like technical work and are generally introspective. This is a term coined in the 80's to describe intelligent but socially inept people. The term is often associated with Bill Gates.

A nerd and a geek, as used in reference to computer and/or web fanatics (such as myself), is an intellectually inclined person, especially one who is interested in scientific or technical subjects. He is a person who has chosen concentration rather than conformity; one who pursues skill (especially technical skill) and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance.It was originally a deprecatory and contemptuous term,as I stated above, but in the 1990s, with the increase in popularity of computers and the frequency of accumulation of great wealth by computer entrepreneurs, it has come to be used with noticeable frequency by technically competent people to refer to themselves, ironically and sometimes proudly.

While nerd and geek seem to have become associated with informatics, dork and dweeb retain their original connotation of social unacceptability.

[...]


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## Benjy

i serverly doubt that you will find a better explination of those terms elsewhere. big thumbs up from me.


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## Eddie

Thank you, Benjy. You're a gentleman and scholar.


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## Eddie

I think that's a perfect French equivalent!


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## Cath.S.

Thank you Eddie, you hit the nail on the head!


> The words nerd, geek, dork, dweeb, etc. are first of all insults used primarily by teenagers and young adults to demean any of the members of their peer group whom they do not accept.


So what do you people think of "petit intello coincé" now, when _not_ talking about computers?


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## Eddie

I agree with the first part of your concept of a geek, but we'd have to come to an understanding as to what constitutes intelligence.


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## OlivierG

I agree. I never heard neither "pingouin" nor "trolleur" in French, and geek is only understood by ... geeks.
I'd use instead "un fondu/mordu d'info[rmatique]".

I propose a new word: "un informaniaque" ou un "ordinaccro" .


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## Eddie

egueule said:
			
		

> Thank you Eddie, you hit the nail on the head!
> 
> So what do you people think of "petit intello coincé" now, when _not_ talking about computers?


 
It works for me!


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## Cath.S.

_Intello_ has nothing to do with intelligence, it is the rather derogatory short for ""intellectuel" in the mouth of people who prefer not to read books unless they really have to, say. In fact those kinds of people often think they are more intelligent than "intellectuels"


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## Eddie

Thank you, Egueule. That's an important distinction which went over my head.


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## fetchezlavache

egueule said:
			
		

> En français, la seule chose qui me vienne à l'esprit, c'est "petit intello coincé", just to get the ball rolling!



je n'ai jamais utilisé 'intello' comme une insulte, et ne le ferai jamais, contrairement à l'usage général. 

*eddie thanks a billion for the explanation* !


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## Yaya

great replies everyone, thank you for the help..

j'avais oublié le mot intello, je me rappelle d'avoir vu un film ou il y avait une fille dans une école et à chaque fois qu'elle levait la main les autres enfants se moquaient d'elle en chantant "intello, intello, intello" mais j'arrive pas à trouver le nom de ce film.. c'était avec audrey tautou peut-être.. mais cela ne réduit pas trop les films français qui sont sortis aux Etats-Unis!


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## lucylovesmarmite

i looked up dork in the dictionary, and it gave me "pauvre type". i'm looking to use the word in some french homework (dialogue) to refer to another class member - using dork/geek/nerd to say that they spend too much time in front of computers. i'm english not american so maybe we use it differently here...


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## mariemarie

Je vous propose "tétard" ... très utilisé à Lyon - Grenoble en tous cas. Je n'ai jamais entendu dire "trolleur", vraiment jamais. "Pingouin" se comprend bien (surtout si le type travaille sous Linux).


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## Apotropaique

"intello" is derogatory for "intellectuel", and seems IMO quite close to "nerd". 
"bookworm" would be translated as "rat de bibliothèque" (litterally, "library rat"). 
I'm more used to the word "nerd" (in elementary school, the little boy with glasses who reads books & doesn't go out playing with the others kids) than "geek" or "dork", but I suppose that if they really are exactly the same, than "intello" is the best translation.
Intello is doubtlessly derogatory, although, of course, people who like reading & stuff might be proud of qualifying themselves as "intellos", although, as in "computer geeks" (or, for that manner, "nigger"), they do it ironically. 
On the whole, the term seems to be less used in French than in English. 
"Petit intello coincé" is a bit too much. "Coincé" (litt. stuck) may also be used for a girl (or a boy, but mostly females as it has a sexual connotation); but it may also be used for posh people (too polite and distant to be friendly). Whatever the case, "intello coincé" seems a pleonasm, and "petit intello" would rather refer to the construction "petit con" (little asshole), but doesn't seems really appropriate. 
Funny, I know this word (nerd) since a long time, but I've never thought it was really translatable, although "intello" of course designs more or less the same thing. I just think it's lot more used in AE than in French, where other insults might be preferred.


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## mgarizona

in case anyone is interested in etymologies:

Dork derives from 'dirk' (poignard) which became first a euphemism for a penis and later for an imbecile. (The same way today you can call a man an idiot by calling him a 'dick' or a 'prick'.)

Geek was originally 'geck' and comes from a Dutch word meaning "to play tricks on." So a geek was a credulous person, someone easily fooled. The depths to which such people sink is illustrated in the use of 'geek' among carnival folk for a performer whose act consisted of biting the head off a live chicken or snake.

Nerd is a modern word of no certain origin. Dr. Seuss has a character called a Nerd in one of his books but suggests no characteristics for it. I like the story that the word started out at the Renssaleer Polytechnic Institute as 'knurd,' which is the word 'drunk' spelt backwards. The only consistant aspects of its use is that it is always a term of contempt.


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## eole

Hi all,

I'm from Belgium and i have personnally never heard about 'trolleur', while 'pingouin' would rather refer for me (like it's been said by one of you) to a posh stiff-necked upperclass yuppie or so.
But there is a term quite frequently used amongst the people i know in Brussels that i think is pretty appropriate... Un "nerd", c'est un "krypton". Je pense que ce terme désigne assez bien ce type assez répandu d'individus à lunettes, renfermés, inintéressants, passionnés d'informatique, friands de problèmes de physique et de sites pornos.
Voilà pour ma contribution,
en vous saluant,
thanks.


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## Bostonien

I'm very happy to see a discussion on this issue that always turns out to be more complex than people first realize. 

Eddie's treatment of the subject was exemplary. I would only add that for me, _geek _and _nerd _are no longer quite the same thing (though they were fairly equivalent once upon a time). The term _geek_ has for some reason evolved beyond _nerd _in a way that's similar to how both terms first distinguished themselves from _dork, dweeb, _etc. 

G_eek_ is the term most likely to be co-opted by geeks themselves in a (sometimes successful) effort to take a derogatory term and make it a source of empowerment and/or pride. (Not terribly dissimilar from African-Americans using racial slurs to refer to one another.)

There's still a certain amount of negativity (social ineptitude, physically unattractive, overly intellectual) in the images associated with _nerd_, whereas _geek_ is evolving to mean someone who devotes themselves to something that many consider strange or otherwise unworthy of such devotion. The pursuit or area in question does not necessarily have to be particularly intellectual or technical in nature (although it commonly is). What's key is that the person has achieved an inordinate level of proficiency or knowledge in an area that, again many people view as not being worth the time or effort.

Note that in dubs of American TV shows, I have heard "geek/nerd" translated as "pauvre type" and "ringard".


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## Beefsteak

Hi all, 

Just a note... geek, nerd, dork, dweeb are used frequently by kids just joking around.  It is playful banter that does not truly relate to their appearance or interests.  Yes, in the U.S., we call people who appear with glasses, that alway carry books, who always do well in the classroom "nerds".  Dork, even though my mother couldn't stand the word because of it's original meaning, refers to someone who is being intentionally silly or unintentionally.  And of course as mentioned before, "geek" has taken on a cyber meaning.  

As a teacher, students still use the terms interchangeably as a means of teasing one another.  To truly insult one another, kids today use a much more vivid vocabulary.

I still am unsure as to what to say when teasing someone about being a "geek", "dork" or "nerd" en français.


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## ebolamunkee

mgarizona said:


> Nerd is a modern word of no certain origin. Dr. Seuss has a character called a Nerd in one of his books but suggests no characteristics for it. I like the story that the word started out at the Renssaleer Polytechnic Institute as 'knurd,' which is the word 'drunk' spelt backwards. The only consistant aspects of its use is that it is always a term of contempt.



I disagree—I consider myself a nerd, and often use it with a degree of pride, and I know plenty of other people who do as well. Most people I know use it as a term to describe somebody who is into "nerdy" things, like Dungeons & Dragons, computers, video games, Warhammer, Magic, movies like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, etc, (and is often not only interested but obsessed with these things) but is not necessarily socially inept, as well as one to describe a "bookish" person who has no social skills. It's probably important to note that this use of the word is mostly by people who consider themselves nerds in that way.

I looked this up because I need to describe myself as a nerd in French, to explain for my homework why I like Star Wars. I may end up just using the English word with quotation marks, since I'm not sure what the most appropriate translation would be...


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## Jalc

OlivierG said:


> I propose a new word: "un informaniaque" ou un "ordinaccro" .


 

Je les replacerai  !


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## mgarizona

ebolamunkee said:


> I disagree—I consider myself a nerd, and often use it with a degree of pride, and I know plenty of other people who do as well. Most people I know use it as a term to describe somebody who is into "nerdy" things, like Dungeons & Dragons, computers, video games, Warhammer, Magic, movies like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, etc, (and is often not only interested but obsessed with these things) but is not necessarily socially inept, as well as one to describe a "bookish" person who has no social skills. It's probably important to note that this use of the word is mostly by people who consider themselves nerds in that way.
> 
> I looked this up because I need to describe myself as a nerd in French, to explain for my homework why I like Star Wars. I may end up just using the English word with quotation marks, since I'm not sure what the most appropriate translation would be...


 
The fact that you wear the epithet "with pride" does not change the fact that it is, in general parlance, a term of contempt. As a like pride does not change the fact for self-identifying punks or queers or 'niggahz.' I salute your pride of course, but I stand by my analysis.


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## Papillon15

ce n'est pas exactement pareil, mais moi je propose le mot *Taré(e). *ça veut dire plutôt "bizarre," ou "weirdo" mais quand-même on a un tendance d'associer les mots comme dork, geek, et nerd avec "Weirdo."


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## ebolamunkee

mgarizona said:


> The fact that you wear the epithet "with pride" does not change the fact that it is, in general parlance, a term of contempt. As a like pride does not change the fact for self-identifying punks or queers or 'niggahz.' I salute your pride of course, but I stand by my analysis.



This is very true. I was pointing out that there's a difference between words which are merely insults, and words that were once only insults, but have been "reclaimed" by the people they refer to. "Queer" is a term of pride for homosexuals, but "fag" is still just an insult.

You're still right... But there's a small distinction there.


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## Fred_C

mariemarie said:


> Je vous propose "tétard" ... très utilisé à Lyon - Grenoble en tous cas. Je n'ai jamais entendu dire "trolleur", vraiment jamais. "Pingouin" se comprend bien (surtout si le type travaille sous Linux).


Tétard, c'est assez bon. Je connais aussi le mot "polar", qui signifie "polarisé sur les études ou tout autre sujet". Mais je ne sais pas s'il est régional. S'il ne l'est pas, peut-être convient-il bien au vu des explications exhaustives ci-dessus.


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## Suebethi

Hi!
Just wanted to add that "Geek" still has a rather negative connotation even today (& it's only for science freaks)


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## Poetic Device

I found *THIS* to be very helpful!


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## Keigan

Et "tronche"?


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## crèmeglacée

Ha i've always used "cave" in these situations....I dont know where I got this from... I've used it as a noun or an adjective
i.e.: -Il est très cave (he's very nerdy)
      -Je ne voulais pas apparaitre cave (I didn't want to seem dorky)
      -Il est un cave (He's a geek)
      -C'est trop cave poir moi (It's too nerdy for me)


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## Keigan

crèmeglacée said:


> Ha i've always used "cave" in these situations....I dont know where I got this from... I've used it as a noun or an adjective
> i.e.: -Il est très cave (he's very nerdy)
> -Je ne voulais pas apparaitre cave (I didn't want to seem dorky)
> -Il est un cave (He's a geek)
> -C'est trop cave poir moi (It's too nerdy for me)


 
"Cave" surely works very well in most cases, but that's exclusively used in Canada. In standard French, it means someone who is not a native from the region and who can easily be fooled. It's also a very informal word (argot).


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## cariosus

mgarizona said:


> in case anyone is interested in etymologies:
> 
> Dork derives from 'dirk' (poignard) which became first a euphemism for a penis and later for an imbecile. (The same way today you can call a man an idiot by calling him a 'dick' or a 'prick'.)
> 
> Geek was originally 'geck' and comes from a Dutch word meaning "to play tricks on." So a geek was a credulous person, someone easily fooled. The depths to which such people sink is illustrated in the use of 'geek' among carnival folk for a performer whose act consisted of biting the head off a live chicken or snake.
> 
> Nerd is a modern word of no certain origin. Dr. Seuss has a character called a Nerd in one of his books but suggests no characteristics for it. I like the story that the word started out at the Renssaleer Polytechnic Institute as 'knurd,' which is the word 'drunk' spelt backwards. The only consistant aspects of its use is that it is always a term of contempt.


 
Thanks. I found this really interesting. I think these words mean slightly different things for everyone. I do and I speak American English as well.

*Dork* - I think that this could mean anyone, but it is usually when one makes a stupid mistake. But it's the least derogatory. not nearly as derogatory as calling a man a "dick" (which I think is used more to imply he is mean rather than stupid.) I think it would be more likely to be called this by a friend than someone you don't know well.
*Geek* - This is used for someone who doesn't have good social skills or street smarts. (They don't have to be book smart.)
*Nerd* - An intelligent person that is usually also a geek.

I see these words as being very distinct from each other.
so ... I have a question about "dork." I think it can be used playfully almost like "silly" and I was wondering if there are words that are equal to this in French and if they're used often? sorry I can't explain it very well.


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## Gez

Quand j'étais au collège (en Bretagne, du côté de Rennes, au cas où le dialecte local influerait), les termes employés étaient "matheux", "intello" (péjoratifs), "bosseur" et "bûcheur" (neutre) et "boule" (mélioratif).




cariosus said:


> I think it can be used playfully almost like "silly" and I was wondering if there are words that are equal to this in French and if they're used often? sorry I can't explain it very well.


Idiot is the one that springs to mind, with "béta" and especially "gros béta" in a more childish vocabulary.


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## MaXuS [fr<->en]

> Quand j'étais au collège (en Bretagne, du côté de Rennes, au cas où le dialecte local influerait), les termes employés étaient "matheux", "intello" (péjoratifs), "bosseur" et "bûcheur" (neutre) et "boule" (mélioratif).



It seems pretty old to me.  
But I think it's well-spread in France so I suppose it would be a good translation.



> Tétard, c'est assez bon. Je connais aussi le mot "polar", qui signifie "polarisé sur les études ou tout autre sujet". Mais je ne sais pas s'il est régional. S'il ne l'est pas, peut-être convient-il bien au vu des explications exhaustives ci-dessus.



I live in the South of France (student) and I ve heard the words "tetard" and "polar" (mainly the second) but I think it belongs to students and other people wouldn t understand it.
In standard french, "polar" means "thriller" (and has of course no negative connotation).



> I'm from Belgium and i have personnally never heard about 'trolleur', while 'pingouin' would rather refer for me (like it's been said by one of you) to a posh stiff-necked upperclass yuppie or so.



I'm from France and I would agree with your translation of "pingouin". I've heard "trolleur" or "troll" but it refered to someone "trolling" a forum ("Don't feed the troll." -> "Ne jettes pas d'huile sur le feu.")



> Un "nerd", c'est un "krypton". Je pense que ce terme désigne assez bien ce type assez répandu d'individus à lunettes, renfermés, inintéressants, passionnés d'informatique, friands de problèmes de physique et de sites pornos.



I've only heard it once. I believe it's not a word everyone would be aware of...



> "intello" is derogatory for "intellectuel", and seems IMO quite close to "nerd".
> "bookworm" would be translated as "rat de bibliothèque" (litterally, "library rat").
> I'm more used to the word "nerd" (in elementary school, the little boy with glasses who reads books & doesn't go out playing with the others kids) than "geek" or "dork", but I suppose that if they really are exactly the same, than "intello" is the best translation.
> Intello is doubtlessly derogatory, although, of course, people who like reading & stuff might be proud of qualifying themselves as "intellos", although, as in "computer geeks" (or, for that manner, "nigger"), they do it ironically.
> On the whole, the term seems to be less used in French than in English.



I fully agree.
Everybody knows the word "intello" and it seems very close to "nerd".


For "geek" (I believe that il would always be understood as "computer geek" in France) I can only think of "fou d'informatique" which seems to be used by a lot of dubbing teams. Yet, I don t think it has the same negative connotation as "geek".


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## Benjy

I am surprised that no one has offered boulet yet. thats a geeky type person isn't it?


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## Cath.S.

Benjy said:


> I am surprised that no one has offered boulet yet. thats a geeky type person isn't it?


_Un boulet_ est plutôt comme_ a dork_, je crois : pas assez intelligent pour prétendre au titre de _geek_ ou de _nerd!_


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## ponyboy

cariosus said:


> *Dork* - I think that this could mean anyone, but it is usually when one makes a stupid mistake. But it's the least derogatory. not nearly as derogatory as calling a man a "dick" (which I think is used more to imply he is mean rather than stupid.) I think it would be more likely to be called this by a friend than someone you don't know well.
> *Geek* - This is used for someone who doesn't have good social skills or street smarts. (They don't have to be book smart.)
> *Nerd* - An intelligent person that is usually also a geek.



i absolutely agree that these words do very slightly in meaning. i very rarely use them interchangeably.

*dork* - nothing to do with being smart. socially awkward or dopey.
*geek* - this is the most derogatory of the three, i think. socially awkward, has skills that others don't care about. it makes me think of someone who plays dungeons & dragons online.
*nerd* - this is the most positive of the three, and refers more than the rest to intelligence, i.e., instead of having D&D skills, someone who has skills in what is considered "high culture". someone who is smart, maybe a bit gawky, but i think that there's certainly implied jealousy or admiration when it's used as an insult.


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## lucylovesmarmite

cariosus said:


> Thanks. I found this really interesting. I think these words mean slightly different things for everyone. I do and I speak American English as well.
> 
> *Dork* - I think that this could mean anyone, but it is usually when one makes a stupid mistake. But it's the least derogatory. not nearly as derogatory as calling a man a "dick" (which I think is used more to imply he is mean rather than stupid.) I think it would be more likely to be called this by a friend than someone you don't know well.
> *Geek* - This is used for someone who doesn't have good social skills or street smarts. (They don't have to be book smart.)
> *Nerd* - An intelligent person that is usually also a geek.
> 
> I see these words as being very distinct from each other.
> so ... I have a question about "dork." I think it can be used playfully almost like "silly" and I was wondering if there are words that are equal to this in French and if they're used often? sorry I can't explain it very well.


 

I live in the UK, and am still in school, and here we consider a dork to be more of a social misfit than someone who is stupid. I'd disagree with what you said about only using it to refer to people you know, in fact i see it most often used degrogatively against someone outside the social circle.
A geek tends to be someone who tries too hard at school and lacks social skills.


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## Sar

“Ballot” or “neu-neu” perhaps?


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## George Sand

What is a good, colloquial French equivalent to "nerd"?


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## gooopil

If you look on French discussion boards, you'll find French people talking about "les nerds" ... I got examples but I don't know if it's authorised to post links to other boards here...


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## Agnès E.

If these boards aren't linguistic, no problem, gooopil. 

Bonjour George Sand,
Bienvenue sur le forum !
[...]


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## gooopil

[...]
pingouin or trolleur : A "trolleur" is not a nerd (well could be but doesn't have to), this is a person who always tries to generate fights and useless discutions on boards. 

Franckly, I don't think we have any good French term for geek or nerd. These terms are used by a part of the population that doesn't mind using english terms. In the Agnès' thread, you'll find several solutions, but I would never say one of these, and I don't think I have ever seen these written on any French board...

My ref: It's a programming board, look at the title of this thread, you can also read the discussion, this is authentic French forum lingo 
-> http://forum.hardware.fr/hfr/Programmation/Divers-6/blabla-programmation-election-sujet_37483_1.htm


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## Gael9

For *Geek*, I think the best translation in French that could be used for any context (not only computer geek) and I use when I speak with my friends could be:

un "Mec barré dedans", ou un "Mec dans son trip", "Mec dans son délire"

That reflects the non-social and technical expertise features of the word and that is really something I use in French. 

I would say : "Il est vraiment dans son trip", with 'trip' the way young frenches use it, only with the 'drug use' meaning.


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## Lolive

In fact for an american who whishes ton translate "geek" in french I would say there is only one word : "Intello"
The french use of "geek" is not the same as the american one (I'm not sure but I think...). In many Tv shows I saw, "geek" is used for "intello", whiwh means, for me, the one who prefers to read books instead of playing.

And for Nerd I think there is a little difference and I would say "M. Je-sais-tout" in french. In fact I saw Spiderman 3 last tuesday lol and Mary-Jane says to Peter that he is such a nerd which was translated by "M. Je-sais-tout" ( literary translation would give "Mr. I know everything")

Hope I could be helpful !


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## Markus

"M. je-sais-tout" translates quite well to "Mr. know-it-all".

The fact that the word _nerd_ is so hard to translate into French is one of those things that makes me love this country!


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## Lolive

Thanks Marcus for the precision !


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## verity17

This is how I understand it:

*Dork *just anyone who isn't "cool"

*Geek *somebody who is clever, usually works hard. Sometimes a friendly, jokey insult, sometimes not offensive (eg. geek chic)

*Nerd *somebody with an obsession for a particular pursuit eg. computers, films etc. Implies intelligence, but not in a complimentary way.

This is just my interpretation of these words as a Brit though. In America it might be totally different.


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## Teafrog

egueule said:


> En français, la seule chose qui me vienne à l'esprit, c'est "petit intello coincé", just to get the ball rolling!



This forum, is full of gems. I like that expression: un “intello coincé” 

Eddie’s description is very good indded. I would add that a geek is someone with a one-track mind and with blinkers on…, and is usually linked with computers
A spotty teenager with square glasses and buck teeth, staring into a computer, comes to mind  
I’ve heard the expression: un fada du “xyz” (where you can place anything for xyz). Is that too soft or too archaic?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree?


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## Lolive

You don't really use "fada" nowadays. Just use "fou" and say "un fou du xyz". 
"Fada" is used in the south, Marseille, Toulouse (it has the same meaning)...But if you don't want to be considered as a tourist don't use this word in Paris for example !^^


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## L'Australienne

Salut tout le monde,
comme on n'a pas encore ecouté une définition Australienne il s'agit de:
A NERD = A producer
A GEEK = A consumer
eg. a nerd CREATES the video games, a geek PLAYS the video games.
This is just the definition my friends and I have tacitly agreed upon.
Hmm pour ce qui est "DORK"....
nobody I know has used this word since 1994...


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## kiwi-di

L'Australienne said:


> Salut tout le monde,
> comme on n'a pas encore ecouté une définition Australienne il s'agit de:
> A NERD = A producer
> A GEEK = A consumer
> eg. a nerd CREATES the video games, a geek PLAYS the video games.
> This is just the definition my friends and I have tacitly agreed upon.


As you say, the definition you and your friends have agreed on.

I'm not sure everyone in Australia would agree.



> Hmm pour ce qui est "DORK"....
> nobody I know has used this word since 1994...


You obviously don't know me.   I think I used it just the other day - or at least "dorky".


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## Quantz

geek = tête d'œuf


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## smallseb

The French translation for "dork" is "pauvre type" as useless...
Geek and Nerd do not have translation, and, yes they are only used in computer comunity. 

One said Geek or Nerd can have their translation as: infomaniaque, accro d'informatique. But they still have their conotation: Geek is in a "good way" and Nerd applys to people whom do not have social life (I mean CS, WoW players...that kind of stuff...)


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## Nowis

Bonjour à tous ! J'ai dévoré ce topic après avoir lu les paroles d'une chanson de rap français, où les rappeurs se décrivent comme " _moitié thugs, moitié nerds_"
Dans mon esprit, un _nerd_ est une personne très qualifiée dans un domaine lié aux sciences ou à l'informatique (domaines généralement considérés comme "_intellos_") , à tel point qu'elle en est presque autiste. j'emploie personnellement l'expression _accro à qqch_, mais j'avoue que l'anglicisme nerd me vient le plus souvent à l'esprit. Je constate dans les cercles étudiants que je fréquente une banalisation du mot _geek_, qui devient synonyme (le plus souvent) d'une personne qui customise son ordinateur (avec des trucs de _geek_ : horloge mondiale, fonctionnalités imitant les produits d'Apple) ET/OU de quelqu'un qui recherche le meilleur matériel et le plus pointu en matière d'informatique, quitte à y sacrifier tout son argent.
J'ai aussi entendu des anglicismes comme "tu es un vrai _geek_" ou "ne fais pas ton_ geek_" mais totalement sorti du contexte. Cela revient presque finalement à un retour vers le sens américain d'origine... Mais c'est la notion d'autiste qui revient le plus fréquemment , du moins dans mon entourage (nord de la France - Lille)

Si la chanson sus-citée vous intéresse, il s'agit de "dans le club" du collectif "TTC".
N'ayant pas trente messages à mon actif, il m'est impossible de vous communiquer une URL directement vers les paroles...

Enfin excusez ce long post en français, j'ai une bonne compréhension de la langue anglaise mais trop de fautes de grammaires auraient vraiment nuit à ma contribution, please kindly understand !


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## aurianea

I agree smallseb, to me "dork" is translated by "pauvre type". 
Regarding "nerd" i would translate it by "rat de bibliothèque".


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## gungunxbangbang

I don't know if this will help but my french/english slang dictionary says 
(misfit) ringard(e)
(strange person) zarbi(e), allumé(e)
and then
He is a real comic book geek - Il est un dingue de bandes dessinées

so you might be able to use one of those


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## jagungal

The best reply is still Eddie's, early on in this thread.

The only thing to add would be that there is definitely a subtle difference in meaning between "nerd" and "geek", at least in Australia. Geeks are generally computer-oriented whereas a nerd is more likely to be interested in science (but it could be some other intellectual pursuit). Geek has been developing more of a positive connotation as lots of the geeks who sat in front of their computers in the 1980's are now living in mansions  bought with the proceeds of their hobby (eg Bill Gates, as was pointed out by someone). Nerds will probably never be rich; they are more likely to be interested by intellectual pursuit itself.

Both nerd and geek can be used positively. Use of the terms by non-geeks or non-nerds is likely to be derogatory, but within the groups the terms can be used with pride. eg I don't really care what operating system my computer is running so I am not a geek, but I spend a lot of time thinking about science so I am a nerd. And proud of it


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## halfbeing

Judging by the comments under the youtube video entitled "Client en Tabarnak", the term nerd is used in Québec, including the English z-plural, nerdz (cf. hackerz, warez, crackz).


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## Quaeitur

For some fun explanation


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## bzekid

What about "binoclard" ? 
In french, binocles = glasses. Binoclard initially meant s.o. who wears glasses, but it is also used to speak about people who work a lot and are thus socially dull as s.o. put it before. 
And it doesn't refer to computers.


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## spoiledali

hi,

I was just curious if there were any simple translations for these. All of them basically mean the same thing in English (to me).
We certainly need to do a bit more research on these slang words. I ony quoted the words used by a few French speakers where they used _geek_ and _pingouin/trolleur_ interchangeably. I'm waiting for input from our native French participants on this forum.

I looked up dork in the dictionary, and it gave me "pauvre type". i'm looking to use the word in some french homework (dialogue) to refer to another class member - using dork/geek/nerd to say that they spend too much time in front of computers. i'm english not american so maybe we use it differently here...



tnkx


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## Keridwen

I like the terms "taré" or "cave" for dork.
and the term "otaku", the japanese version of the geek is also more commonly used in France, as it seems whe have no good word for it.
Trolleur will only be used in forum context.
Too bad I'm too young to post urls, I found good explainations on Youtube. A tip, search "suck my geek" and "chanson du geek"...


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## SolangeC

Hello - I am in the Midwest, and it seems that the term "nerd" is transforming here. Calling someone a nerd here isn't necessarily that bad. It can imply a feeling of eye-rolling fondness - it indicates they are harmless, have plain tastes in clothing & entertainment (wears button-down shirts and horn-rimmed glasses, likes checkers and old movies), yet they are very intelligent and loyal and not a bad friend to have. People secretly don't mind having the nerd on their side, while never would one want a dork or geek as a friend.


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## jagungal

OK here's another take in a comic (link to comic)...

www (dot) phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=401

nb...I don't have access to post urls so just put the dot in yourself.

I think that the definition is fluid and depends on where you are in the English speaking world, and will be different in a couple of years time.


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## Gold Sandy

I'd say "une tête d'ampoule" (comme dans la série Malcolm) ou "une victime" ou "un intello" tout simplement ou "un coincé de la vie" dans certains cas !


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## pepoling

These words are used differently by different people.

We don't really call people a "dork."  It used to be a synonym for "nerd/geek" but now it's just like "silly person."  "Dorky" means "not cool," and we sometimes say that.

In graduate school studying Latin, one of my colleagues attempted to say "we are nerds."  I said, absolutely not, I am an "intellectual," but I am very stylish and social and not at all a nerd.  So some people think "nerd" is general for "smart/intellectual/like school/like learning/like studying a 2,000 year old dead language" but I would definitely say it has the sense, "not cool, caring more about studies than social life."  

"Geek" is the strongest - a girl is never a geek.   That is a socially incompetent boy in glasses that loves computers.


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## Tamooaloo

j'ai lu qu'on peut dire "baillot"
est-ce que ca marche?


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## Tamooaloo

oh no, je voulais dire "ballot"


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## Gerak

OlivierG said:


> I agree. I never heard neither "pingouin" nor "trolleur" in French, and geek is only understood by ... geeks.
> I'd use instead "un fondu/mordu d'info[rmatique]".
> 
> I propose a new word: "un informaniaque" ou un "ordinaccro" .



Jolis néologismes, j'apprécie.


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## akaAJ

Eddie is generally correct in his definitions and historical analysis.  There has been evolution in the meanings.  My impression is that now "computer geek" signifies "computer whiz" = tête = crack = as, and even commands the respect of jocks, queens, and princesses.  "Nerd" has several meanings/usages. One is that of a studious intellectual, meant to be negative but carrying a whiff of envy.  The other is "awkward pain in the neck".  "Dork" and "dweeb" retain the meaning of "socially inept", but I think "dork" emphasizes the awkwardness and "dweeb" the timidity.


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## Gold Sandy

Tamooaloo said:


> oh no, je voulais dire "ballot"


 
Un ballot c'est un boulet, un idiot, pas très fut' fut' plutôt pas un geek. Mais dans certain cas ça peut marcher j'pense.

ex : - Hey tu connais le mec au lycée qui est accro aux jeux vidéos?
      - Ouais c'est un vrai geek celui-là !
      - Ouais il est un peu ballot en plus en cours!


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## akaAJ

One further note.  Fifty years ago, in the US, a "geek" was the lowest form of circus performer, who did horrible, demeaning things.  In the movies, Tyrone Power, reduced to biting off the heads of chickens, was a geek; so was the schoolteacher in "Blaue Engel".


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## happydaiz

I think we could all be described as 'geeks' now!!!!!!


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## Shnitzled

well i'll use thesee definitions:
a geek (someone who is fond of computers,internet,etc so not really a nerd/intellectual guy) = there's no really french translation for that, we keep using the same word here (or "nolife" instead)
a nerd (big brain man) = "un intello".

But overall, we claim a geek (sometimes himself) to be both a nerd and a dork/dweeb


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## Thalamus

Bonjour à tous.

Je suis un jeune français d'une vingtaine d'années. Chez moi, vers Grenoble, j'ai l'impression que ce sont plutôt les geeks eux-mêmes qui ont importé ce mot dans le langage courant, l'ayant appris sur internet. Et j'utilise ici geek au sens de jeunes passionnés d'informatique, que ce soit la programmation (html, css, javascript, excel...), internet (forums de sciences, de technologie, mmorpg, piratage...)  ou les jeux vidéos de stratégie (Starcraft) ou d'aventure (je ne sais pas, Diablo par exemple).
Mais ça englobe une part non négligeable des lycéens en S (série scientifique), par exemple (première S, terminale S) ou des étudiants en prépa scientifiques. Et geek désigne souvent des gens assez normaux socialement parlant, aux physiques communs. Pas toujours des intellos, c'est à dire pas toujours des personnes qui réussisent vraiment à l'école.

Bien sûr, parmi tous ces geeks, il y a des degrés: il y a les purs intellos, il y a ceux qui n'ont pas de vie sociale (sans forcément être intellos), ceux qui ont un physique plutôt disgracieux (ce sont souvent les mêmes qui n'ont pas de vie sociale^^), ceux qui arrivent à avoir une vie sexuelle et des amis, comme tout le monde, malgré le temps qu'ils passent devant leur ordinateur,... c'est vaste!

Un membre du forum a bien résumé les goûts que l'on retrouve chez les geeks en évoquant Donjons et Dragons, StarWars, Startrek, The Lord of the Rings (tant les livres que les films), etc. Reviennent les thèmes de la heroic fantasy et de la science fiction.

Après, vous avez beaucoup de jeunes qui passent leur vie devant Counter Strike, Never Winter Night, Need For Speed, World of Warcraft, enfin bref tous ces jeux, sans rien connaître à l'informatique. Certains sont des no-life (un geek peu doué socialement peut-être un no-life), d'autres pas du tout, ils jouent avec leurs potes, sèchent les cours pour shooter virtuellement des bonshommes armés et sont tout à fait bien dans leurs peaux.
Le terme *no-life* revient souvent, je m'en rends compte maintenant, pour parler des geeks ou de l'équivalent des derks, des dweebs.

Toutefois, je n'ai jamais entendu les mots pingouin, tétard, polar ou trolleur pour parler d'un geek.
Nerd, ça s'emploie un peu mais, d'après ce que j'ai vu, surtout par les geeks et pour désigner des gens encore plus "geeks" qu'eux (moins beaux, avec plus de boutons, de plus grosses lunettes, la peau et les cheveux plus gras, plus de matériel informatique, etc..).

Mais geek, il y a quelques années encore, ça n'était pas du tout utilisé ou mal connu chez les jeunes de mon âge. Pour preuve, beaucoup prononçaient ça "jik" et non "guik"! Geek est désormais devenu un mot à la mode, que l'on trouve même dans la presse.

Souvent, on parle d'*asocial* pour désigner ce que les anglo-saxons semblent appeler les dorks.
Mais asocial ça marche très bien pour le gars littéraire qui ne fait que lire, sans forcément s'intéresser aux nouvelles technologies ou aux sciences exactes.


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## mgarizona

Comedian John Hodgman recently spoke at a Washington DC press dinner, following Barack Obama, touting Obama as the first Nerd President, since Obama had admitted to collecting comic books and being a fan of Star Trek. Obama's Nerd intellectualism was contrasted to the "Jock" mentality that had defined the Bush years. In the midst of this speech Hodgman suddenly referred to Obama as a geek, quickly adding this aside:

"And to those who say, 'Wait, there's a difference between nerds and geeks,' I answer, 'Shut up, nerd!'"

At five pages now, might he not have a point???


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## smallseb

+1!
He has a point, and at this point of the conversation we are going deeper and deeper into the evolution of theses words in actual language. 
What I found fascinating is the fact that this post beguan 4 years ago,and to see how it was adoped in the common language, and at the beguining used only by geek or nerd only.


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## SolangeC

Quant a: "les derks"  - tu veux dire "dork", peut-etre?


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## Thalamus

Yep, au temps pour moi, les "dorks". C'est corrigé.

Yes, Smallseb, the topic began four years ago but I think there are many people who have something to say about that after reading this thread. Like me...^^ And there are certainly a few geeks/nerds on this forum who feel concerned. I hope I've brought an original point of view. It's personal, anyway, and I noticed the vocabulary may have evolved since the beginning of the topic, and it changes depending on geography (is it correct, "depending on geography"?) and generations... I guess.


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## mgarizona

Thalamus said:


> It's personal, anyway, and I noticed the vocabulary may have evolved since the beginning of the topic, and it changes depending on geography (is it correct, "depending on geography"?) and generations... I guess.



The proper word is this context is probably "region," in place of "geography."

Actually I'd recommend "There are regional and generational differences."


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## MaxFromPerigord

Hi, 
For me the concept of geek or nerd exists in french - we call them 'polards'. The definition I found online of a polard being: 'Se dit d'un élève ou d'un universitaire qui ne s'intéresse qu'à ses études' - someone who is only interested in their studies, but I'd say you can generalize it to anyone who only has a single passion in life and sacrifices everything else to it.


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## Thalamus

Thanks for your advice mgarizona.

MaxFromPerigord :
I've never heard the word 'polard' in french. Actually, I think It's the pejorative word for 'bûcheur', 'bosseur'. But I know some people who are 'polards' without being geek. I make these two words different, personally.


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## breton67400

I agree. _Geek _can be used in France, but only someone who is used to english terms (like a computer geek !) would get it. _Nerd _is never used in France. but stricly speaking you can't translate that, though the closest for me would be _naze_ (which is less specific).


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## steoueb

hey

I am pretty late in this forum but I wanted to make a contribution to this topic which is apparently unclear. For instance, I have never heard of "trolleur" or "pingouin", at least in this context.

My understanding of "dweeb" and "dork" has nothing to do with technical skills! For that reason, I would propose French slang like "(gros) naze", "charlot", "bidon", "ringard" or "bouffon", depending on how gross you want to be . "pauvre type", as proposed in this forum, works pretty well too.

On the other hand, "nerd" and "geek" would rather mean "intello" (short for "intellectuel"), "premier de la classe" as in the idiom "avoir une tete de premier de la classe" or simply "tete" - "cette fille est une (grosse) tete". If you really want to be rude or derogatory, you may say "tronche" or "binoclard" (referring to the fact that they usually wear glasses - "binocles").

I also heard the term "geek" in France, for IT guys. Lately, some people use the English "no life" (in one word) to call people who are intensively living their passion like computer, web, video games or even cinema so hard that they have no time for regular social life. 

Hope this helps.


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## xiancee

Pour résumer la partie "traduc" on accepte en francais "geek" et "no life" , ces derniers on d'ailleurs leur chaine de télé !

Tiens je vous rajoute un peu de vocabulaire nippon : les "otakus", comme les "no life" mais au Japon !

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku


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## overdue

If I may:
The title character in Napoleon Dynamite is a "dork," in that there's something "simple" in him, and he moves like a duck or penguin. Plus he has social behaviors that he's not aware of that could label him "anti-social," but he's sweet at heart. 

Jerry Lewis' "Nutty Professor" is a nerd, in that he's unfashionable and weird looking, although nerds should normally be brainy, like the Hodgeman/Obama reference above suggested. He knows he has problems socializing, but can't help himself

A geek is a weird person, not necessarily smart or into computers. 
He could be a nose-picking brainiac (very high IQ) or a side show freak, as another poster above suggested.
It's uniquely French to use "geek" solely as someone who's crazy about computers.
I think most Americans over 35 years on this forum will remember the song, "Pencil neck geek, grit eating freak [.... ] with a lousy physique"?  

I think all three could be considered "losers."


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## boubou

As a French native, i would say "geek" is more and more common in French. .

You can call someone "un gros geek" or even "un no-life" (but this one is more likely to be found in a forum).

Un troll or un trolleur, is basically a troll. Not a geek. It is not the same thing. 

Un pingouin ? Not very much used in fact. Does it refer to the users of Linux ?


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## halfbeing

MaxFromPerigord said:


> Hi,
> For me the concept of geek or nerd exists in french - we call them 'polards'. The definition I found online of a polard being: 'Se dit d'un élève ou d'un universitaire qui ne s'intéresse qu'à ses études' - someone who is only interested in their studies, but I'd say you can generalize it to anyone who only has a single passion in life and sacrifices everything else to it.



It sounds like you are referring to is what would in British English be called a "swot". It's a slightly archaic term and going out of fashion. I'm not sure if it has ever been widely used in North America.

Nerds and geeks can spend their time doing nerdy things _instead_ of doing their school work, such as computer games.


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## SolangeC

I thought a "swot" was more of a wimp, or a whiner.
I still have the impression (here in the Midwest) that being a nerd or a geek is not necessarily negative.  I have heard fond mothers describe their sons as "computer nerds/geeks", and when you have trouble with your laptop, you really want a nerd as a good friend.  There's even a Geek Squad service - google it for more info! That being said, Computer geeks and nerds proudly bear the name, at least around here!


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## hirondelled'hiver

Comment appelerait-on un "geek" qui ferait partie d'un fan club de série télé kitch par exemple? 
Des illuminés? Des fanatiques? 

D'autres idées?
Et même si ça peut vous paraître étrange, je cherche plutôt un mot dans lequel il n'y aurait pas les lettres M, B ou P. Merci


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## Guerric

Sauf erreur de ma part, un geek est fan de science fiction.


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## SolangeC

Amazing - this thread had been kept alive since 2005... Isn't this forum great?!?


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## Cath.S.

hirondelled'hiver said:


> Comment appelerait-on un "geek" qui ferait partie d'un fan club de série télé kitch par exemple?
> Des illuminés? Des fanatiques?
> 
> D'autres idées?
> Et même si ça peut vous paraître étrange, je cherche plutôt un mot dans lequel il n'y aurait pas les lettres M, B ou P. Merci


Salut Hirondelle,

j'allais proposer _un mordu ou un monomaniaque. _Tant pis. 
_Un fan obsessionnel _? _Un obsédé_ ? Non. Contiennent des b.

_Un fou idolâtre _?
_Un fanatique enragé ?
Un enragé tout court _?


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## Nicomon

Un groupie ? (non... il y a un p)
Un fan fini ? (je crois que c'est québécois)
Un toqué ?
Un trekkie ? (bon... ça marche seulement pour Star Trek)


*Edit :* je précise que ces suggestions sont en réponse à la question d'hirondelled'hiver (#102)


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## skymini

Fred_C said:


> Tétard, c'est assez bon. Je connais aussi le mot "polar", qui signifie "polarisé sur les études ou tout autre sujet". Mais je ne sais pas s'il est régional. S'il ne l'est pas, peut-être convient-il bien au vu des explications exhaustives ci-dessus.



I found polar in the latest version of Le Petit Robert. You can also write it polard or polarde for a woman. 

The entry says:
Arg. scol. Personne complètement absorbée par ses études. Une petite polarde studieuse.

This sounds exactly like the second definition of nerd in my Oxford Canadian Dictionary: A person thoroughly devoted to one usually technical interest, study, etc., often at the expense of social interaction. 

Awesome suggestion Fred_C. None of the bilingual databases or dictionaries I looked through included that one! I think it's a perfect translation.


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## Nicomon

Eh bien dans mon vocabulaire - en dépit du fait que le mot serait attesté depuis 1952 dans ce sens de « personne complètement absorbée par ses études » -
un _polar_ est un roman policier, ou un vêtement en laine polaire. 

Quand je ne commets pas l'anglicisme, pour moi un "_nerd_" est un _intello (coinçé)_... comme Cath l'a proposé en 2005, dès le début de ce long fil. 

À l'école, on disait « _Petit Biquet_ », en faisant référence à *ce personnage* de Félix le chat. _Poindexter_, dans la version anglaise.


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## Cath.S.

Salut, Nico. 
Je reste fidèle à mon vieux moi d'antan 

Je viens, par curiosité, de chercher _polard_ dans wikipedia, et il appert que l'usage de ce terme est limité dans l'espace : limité à la France, d'abord, puis aux grandes écoles - que la majorité des Français sont loin de fréquenter.
Pour éviter les faux positifs causés par une confusion avec _pola*r* = roman policier_ lors d'une recherche sur "_c'est un polard_", j'ai cherché "_c'est une polarde_" ; j'ai tout de même obtenu deux résultats, ce qui m'a étonnée ; en revanche, conformément à mon attente, Google m'a proposé "c'est une poularde". 
[...]


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## Gael9

Reactivating this thread to say that after years of living in NA:

- for me a Nerd is someone who is excessively intellectual in one domain. So fana d’histoire, science, etc... to the point of this being strange to others. You could also say intello in some contexts. The point being it first refers to the person, not his social status, but it can then imply him having a lack of social skills or social acceptance. 

- on the other hand, a Geek is a way of referring to the person’s social status first. This is because a geek in the past used to mean a freak, a strange creature at the circus for example. The point is that didn’t mean they were necessarily smart (actually even sometimes dumb). But because of the computer geek phenomenon they eventually started to be associated with the smart computer kids. Not sure how to translate, I would say geek in french as the term is known (but maybe not really understood 

So nowadays they often refer to the same types, but from a different angle. That’s my interpretation in AE anyways. I hear nerd much more often personally.


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## hirondelled'hiver

Cath.S. said:


> _Un boulet_ est plutôt comme_ a dork_, je crois : pas assez intelligent pour prétendre au titre de _geek_ ou de _nerd!_


Je suis d'accord, jolie distinction entre les deux. 

Petite récapitulation de cette discussion (ça peut être utile), avec ajouts: 

_Dork_, ça peut aussi être: _une tanche_, presque _un gogol. Un cave. Un ballot, un neu-neu. _
Il y a effectivement une notion péjorative, du gars un peu looser ou marginal. 
(non "cave" n'est pas utilisé qu'au Canada, et en France, je l'ai souvent entendu dans le sens de "nul", "weirdo", "bouffon", "blaireau").

Sur Nerd/geek, il semble que ponyboy soit en désaccord avec Bostonian: pour lui, "nerd" est le plus positif des 3, alors que pour Bostonian c'est "geek" le plus positif.  

_Nerd_, on disait aussi "un _crack_", un" crack de l'informatique", mais je crois que le mot se perd. Certains peuvent encore le dire. 
Y'a aussi la notion de: _grosse tête, binoclard, boutonneux_ (sous-entendu intello). 
Associé à l'ordinateur, j'ai lu une fois "un sourisard", mais je ne l'ai jamais entendu. Mais c'est mignon.
_Techno-nerd_, ça pourrait être: _un fondu/mordu de_ (technologie) mais ça aussi, ça a pris de l'âge je crois. 

_geek_: intello, une tronche.    
Et les inventés: informanique, ordinaccro.
J'ai lu aussi: techno-geek = techno-accro.
Et évidemment "geek" se dit en français maintenant.


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## iuytr

Comme ce fil très intéressant montre l'évolution de ces mots depuis 12 ans (total respect), ma petite contribution (pour les lecteurs de 2029 ). L'évolution est rapide et foisonnante car ce sont des mots de la nouvelle culture mondiale qui se dessine, elle même en pleine évolution. 

En 2017 en France : geek est très répandu (pratiquement grand public), et utilisé en adjectif, nerd beaucoup moins utilisé dans un milieu plus fermé et pas utilisé en adjectif à ma connaissance et je ne connaissais pas dork et dérivé.

Pour rester sur Geek, c'est un mot à la mode et arrangé à toutes les sauces.

Quelques exemples  :

Macron soigne son image de geek en Israël    Le Monde 5 sept 2017

On peut trouver des pages culture geek dans un site de vente par correspondance grand public (mugs, figurines, peluches)  Cultura 

Dans cet article Numerama 24 juillet 2017 "être geek ça veut dire quoi ?", on perçoit l'expansion du terme geek, au point qu'il ne serait même plus qualifiant pour désigner les geeks (c'est un comble  )

« Je préfère le terme technophile à geek »  — Vanessa Lalo

*Pour Vanessa Lalo, cependant, le terme de geek n’est pas le plus approprié pour décrire cette frange de la population passionnée de science-fiction, jeux vidéo et hardware informatique.* « _Je lui préférerais plutôt le terme de technophile. Avec l’avènement des technologies, le mot geek est devenu une sorte de tendance absolue, alors que celui de technophile me semble plus approprié pour qualifier les geeks_ », nous précise la psychologue.

C'est même utilisé pour qualifier un segment de clientèle :" Recevoir, chaque mois, un colis découverte avec une sélection d’articles dans un univers choisi : produits cosmétiques, gastronomiques ou de design, bijoux, vêtements, thés, vin, et même objets pour chats et chiens, produits pour geeks ou souvenirs des années 80... C’est le concept des « box » par abonnement" source

Et un dernier exemple que j'aime bien sur Ouest-France (journal régional et aussi plus fort tirage de France) à Cholet  21 aout 2017: une interview d'habitants de Cholet passionnés de jeu vidéo qui se qualifient eux-même de geek : *« à la base celui qui s’intéresse aux sciences et qui, petit à petit, au fur et à mesure de l’évolution des technologies, s’est dirigé vers l’informatique. Aujourd’hui, la notion s’est recentrée sur un domaine, celui des univers fantastiques. »*

J'ai l'impression que c'est compris d'une majorité et certainement de tous les jeunes mais avec un sens assez ouvert.*

*


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## Hylidae

Merci Iuytr!
En effet c'est intéressant de voir l'évolution du mot geek (et de la culture qui va avec), passé en dix ans d'une insulte obscure à une appartenance sociale revendiquée.

Je suis toujours à la recherche d'un bon équivalent pour _dork _qui ne me semble quant à lui jamais passé dans la langue française.
Ici mon personnage, qui se revendique lui-même indifféremment comme _nerd _et _geek_ l'utilise dans le jeu de mot suivant pour désigner avec tendresse son partenaire :
_"A-dork-able_."

Je suis preneuse de toutes suggestions


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## moicestjoe

For what it's worth, I feel that there is a slight distinction between the three: 

"geek" = someone who is obsessive about a particular subject, especially ones that aren't considered "cool" (science, video games, star wars, dungeons and dragons) 
"nerd" = someone who is very smart and socially awkward
"dork" = someone who is uncool and socially ostracized but not necessarily smart

That said, all three can be used more or less interchangeably.


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## Hylidae

Thanks for the distinction Moicestjoe, I just wonder about geek :



moicestjoe said:


> "geek" = someone who is obsessive about a particular subject, especially ones that aren't considered "cool" (science, video games, star wars, dungeons and dragons)



Video games, Star Wars, D&D (think _Stranger Things_ on Netflix) have become more and more mainstream nowadays and kinda cool, and at least in it's French use, geek as shifted from insult to badge of honor for a whole generation but used with a slight dubious contempt by the older generations. Is it the same in English, or does it still keep its negative connotation in 2018?

(Can't wait to read the evolution of this thread in 10 years from now!)


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## moicestjoe

Absolutely has shifted to postive also! Geek has been "reclaimed" by the community in the US too. Now you even have conversations about people who aren't "real" geeks or posers, so it has definitely become a badge of honor. Although this is probably more true about adults. If you're a middle schooler who is being called a geek for liking D&D or whatnot, it's probably not a very good feeling still.


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## Hylidae

Thanks for the confirmation Moicestjoe!
Intresting to know it still serves for name-calling purposes for teenagers though.

What would you make of dweeb? Is it a synonym for dork?

Would someone would have a suggestion for a French equivalent?


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## moicestjoe

Wow, there are so many shades of meaning in these words. I suppose a dweeb is someone nerdy/dorky/geeky but there is also a connotation that they are physically unattractive as well. For example, one can have a "dweeby physique" but not really a "dorky physique". Of course, all of the shades of meaning I've listed aren't set in stone and these words can be used pretty interchangeably.

Bonus fact: I don't know if it's true, but when I was in elementary school everybody used to say that dork means whale penis, so when you call someone a dork you're calling them a whale penis. This could be kid's lore though.


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## Hylidae

Thanks for the precision

And thanks for the bonus fact which I feel now obligated to reuse as a piece of trivia in the next party I attend… 
Quick research, urban dictionary agree with your class mate, but then, the entree might have been written by one of your class mate 
But there is no trace of the world dork on the whole Wikipedia article about to the blue whale penis (to my utter surprise, there is indeed one, I can still be so naive...), neither on the dedicated page on Whalefacts.org, so who knows... the mystery remains.

Back to our nuances and variations, I came across this graphic to place the different words in relations to each other.
Would you say it's accurate?


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## moicestjoe

Haha yeah that's pretty right! But I don't know if they can be quite that neatly broken down.


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## JoJ!

Cath.S. said:


> Geek on its own (= nerd = dork= is derogatory. No one would ever say "you're a real geek" as a compliment!


I don't feel this way. I'm a mega nerd myself and I'm trying to write an autobiography for french class


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## Michelvar

Welcome to the forum, JoJ!  

You're answering to a message issued 14 years ago, I'm quite sure the usage of the word "nerd" has changed a lot during this time.


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