# That's a nigga thing!



## polyglotwannabe

Hi, dear fellas how would you render that expression into slangy French?.
C'est une chose de blancs! This is my weak try.
This is not meant to be racist. It is just an expression used by white or even black among friends.


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## misterk

Can you explain (in English) what the expression means?
Who would say it to whom, in what circumstances, to convey what idea or sentiment?


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## polyglotwannabe

Misterk, imagine there are a group of friends talking and one of them say hey Justin, why don't you play some rap, and the other goes, No, not rap please, that's a nigga thing, and of course there are black friends present who won't take any offense cos they know it's all in good fun. I have heard it used but don't know how to put it on french. Again, the reverse could also be said, hey do this and that and then someone says " that is a white thing!., or a whitey thing.


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## misterk

And what do they mean by "That's a nigga thing"? That it's something that only African-Americans enjoy?
is this something that only a white person would say?


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## polyglotwannabe

No, it could also be said by a black or afro American. Yes, something common to afro-americans.


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## polyglotwannabe

And we could also reverse it and say it of white people. Like it's a whitey thing!.


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## wildan1

FR _black _and AE _nigga _are not equivalent in their connotations!





polyglotwannabe said:


> It is just an expression used by white or even black among friends.


I think it is important to note in this discussion (for anyone reading it who is a non-native English-speaker)  that choosing to say anything close to what Americans call _"the N-word" (_to avoid the true word being pronounced) is like playing with dynamite when said by a white person.

You must be extremely close friends with a US black person if you are throwing that kind of language around as a non-black.

Why You're so Pressed to Use the N-word.


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## atcheque

Bonjour,


polyglotwannabe said:


> This is not meant to be racist.


I am very surprised to read that from an American, regarding the value of that word, value repeated by Wildan just here above.
A French word that can be used would be _bougnoule_. I cannot imagine a friendly usage too.
If you want something smooth, you can say _Truc de Noirs_, which would anyway lead to question.


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## WannaBFluent

I just want to add something.

"C'est un truc de noir" would definitely sounds weird. It's not the way young people would say it, the only people that I can imagine saying this sentence is definitely some old racists.

Young people use the verlan on the word "noir", and, I can't really explain it, but it makes the word less offensive and not racist. Even in formal situations, like in companies, more and more people tend to avoid the word "noir" to refer to a black person and use the verlan "renoi" or the English "black" instead.

So, to conclude:

*That's a nigga's thing!* => _C'est un truc de renoi!_
*
Hé mec, pourquoi tu nous mets pas un peu de rap hardcore?
Non, non, j'aime pas ça, c'est plus un truc de renoi.*
_
Hey man, why don't you play some gangsta rap?
No, no, I don't like that, that's more a nigga's thing.
_
If you say it this way, among friends. You won't be considered as racist


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## polyglotwannabe

Thanks to all for your comments. It was the word ' _truc_' which I kept missing. The explanation that cigaloune gave was very much on point. As to the example, like the very cigaloune explained, ' it's a ..... thing' is more the structure than the word which is at play here. Like I say before, it could be used for any type of race,  indicating that that is the thing that they do most and with most flair. The connotation could be disparaging or not, and we all agree is a question of usage, setting and circumstance. I very much agree with Wildan, in that, it should be used only with close friends or with or caution cos it could very well be misinterpreted. I ask the question cos I wonder how it could be translated in French. I have heard friends of mine who are black use it. And let me clear about this, growing up in a predominantly black neighborhood, I have a lot of black friends. And I am of the most unprejudiced person that may live on planet Earth. I think this clarification is in order. I don't care if you are black or white or all shades of gray, or gay or straight, for me you are just a human being. It is just a curiosity out of a heart which loves language, and this has been more than proven on this forum.
Thanks to all. I have the word like I said that was missing and that is truc'.


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## polyglotwannabe

Wannabefluent, thanks a lot for that explanation!!!!!!.


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## polyglotwannabe

I am a very surprised to read that from an American, regarding the value of that word, value repeated by Wildan just here above.
Dear friend atcheque: with all due respect, I don't know what you find surprising here coming from an American. It is a simple doubt in translation, and I have no hangups none whatsoever. My goal is to be able to translate anything, and in the process of studying a word, learn as much as I can about  different cultures. I have learned a lot by everyone's comments on this thread. This is a forum about languages. The only thing asked of us is to be respectful at all times. Which I have always been and always will be.
Thanks a lot for your input.


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## wildan1

WannaBFluent said:


> Young people use the verlan on the word "noir", and, I can't really explain it, but it makes the word less offensive and not racist.


That's not the case with _nigga_--if you are not a black person yourself and you choose to say this, your intentions--whatever they are--probably will not be those that you meant. Beware!


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## atcheque

polyglotwannabe said:


> I dontd know what you find surprising here coming from an American.


I quoted : Nigga _This is not meant to be racist._
You question was finally for _thing / truc_. This thread is a mess


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## polyglotwannabe

Atcheque, my question was for the whole structure to be translated. What I needed was the word ' _truc_' cos I know it fits better than ' _chose_'. I just advanced the " _this is not meant to be racist', because I wanted everyone to know it is a mere language question. You said you were surprised, and my question still is, why?. Why are you surprised?. Isn't this a language forum?. Mustn't those who compile dictionaries include all words and give it a meaning even if they put a caution as to usage next to certain words?. So I felt the need to reply to your comment. This is a question about translation. And I am satisfied with the answers here given.
Thank you once again and forgive me if I didn't understand what you were trying to say._


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## WannaBFluent

wildan1 said:


> That's not the case with _nigga_--if you are not a black person yourself and you choose to say this, your intentions--whatever they are--probably will not be those that you meant. Beware!


Many non-black youngs in the States use the word 'nigga' without the racist connotation. It mostly come from rap culture.
There's even some white people calling other withe people as 'nigga', just like it's another way to say 'brother' or 'man'.

There's also the word dawg, coming from dog. Calling a friend as dog can be seen as rude. But it's very common among young people, in the States and even in English speaking African countries. What's up dawg? is used in the sense of what's up homie? There's nothing rude in it, and of course, you are not implying that your friend is a dog.

I think you just have problem to understand how young people talk, because you have such example in every countries.
In France, there are also common ways to call a close friend like 'hé, gros, ça va?' and you are definitely not saying that your friend is fat.

I think your misconception might come from your age and non-exposure to young/rap culture.


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## Soleil_Couchant

All things considered, Wildan is correct though that you need to be very careful whenever using that word. Especially if you are not African-American yourself. I definitely advise against it. (For future people reading this thread. I do understand that polygot was just explaining that the sentence s/he was translating was not in a racist context, which makes sense for the sake of finding an accurate translation).


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## jekoh

WannaBFluent said:


> In France, there are also common ways to call a close friend like 'hé, gros, ça va?' and you are definitely not saying that your friend is fat.


The racist part in calling someone _nigga_ isn't the implication that the person is black.


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## joelooc

Literally: "c'est un truc de nègre" but only two very distinct categories of people would use it in France:
derogatorily: by pro-segregation activists
jokingly: by black people, only between black friends
Until the 80's, in France all the so-called racist insults were taken light-heartedly by both sides; some astute (albeit unscrupulous) politicians have used them to drive a wedge between people ("diviser pour régner") which has lead to a total catatonic state whenever the subject comes up, people pretend to be colour-blind for fear of being accused of racism. Banning words is not the way to prevent prejudice.


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## polyglotwannabe

Wannabefluent is really right. I am not saying you don't have to exercise caution when using words like these, but it is very true that word is being  freely bandied about especially by young people.( _teenagers are using the word a lot among them to mean 'buddy or bro')._


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## Soleil_Couchant

Mmm, okay, so maybe it's fine to use only around young people who _also_ already partake in using this lingo. But for everyone else in the US...don't use it. You definitely risk offending.... A quick Google search on the subject helps confirm it's generally frowned upon (I'm referring to non-black people using it especially).


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## polyglotwannabe

Yes, I agree with Soleilcouchant. Definitely. It is not a safe word. Not at all.


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## broglet

Soleil_Couchant said:


> Mmm, okay, so maybe it's fine to use only around young people who _also_ already partake in using this lingo. But for everyone else in the US...don't use it. You definitely risk offending.... A quick Google search on the subject helps confirm it's generally frowned upon (I'm referring to non-black people using it especially).


In the UK this word (spelt 'nigger') is generally regarded as one of the most offensive words in the language. I wouldn't say it is 'fine' to use anywhere or with anyone, especially if it might be overheard. It is such a problematic word that I even felt anxious writing it in this post. My advice to all people in all places: do not use it!


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## L'irlandais

WannaBFluent said:


> Many non-black youngs in the States use the word 'nigga' without the racist connotation. It mostly come from rap culture.
> There's even some white people calling other withe people as 'nigga', just like it's another way to say 'brother' or 'man'.
> 
> ...I think your misconception might come from your age and non-exposure to young/rap culture.


No.
Perhaps your misconception might come from not being English mother tongue.
The N word is not just like brother or man. That is just wrong.  Rappers choose to use the N word for exactly that reason, to shock listeners.  Also the OP is asking about using this word in NY.  I can see why you personally might get away with it in France, simply because of the poor level of English of the Rap community here.  It is not at all that surprising they don’t find it overly shocking.  They don’t find it ridiculous to hear a white Parisien saying “Whad’s up broooo?”  Context is everything.

For those who didn’t read to the end of Wildan’s linked article:


> The word is more than just a rap phrase; it is a way for the black community to take back ownership of themselves and share common knowledge. So next time a song with n—a comes up, for one, think about its meaning and not because it is on the Billboard’s Top 100_.  _


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## Soleil_Couchant

Okay it's a little from column A and column B. As an American, among SOME young African-Americans in the hip hop culture, yes, they might use it casually with each other (though parents/family/etc likely won't be into it). But again, it's NOT for anyone outside that small group to mess with. broglet, with the "a" ending (what we're talking about here)...it's not the same level of offense as the "-er" ending....some whites have thought therefore that means they, too, can "safely" use it to look cool or hip or something, (i.e., "my (black) friends all use it and they're fine, so, so can I!") but they are wrong....


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## L'irlandais

This is about language register.  If we go beyond the basic split of formal/informal, we find there are 5 levels in operation:

Frozen Language (that never changes) Wedding vows, Miranda rights
Formal (Standard English Speeches) school lessons
Consultative (Less formal standard English) News casting, employee to employer
Casual (Language between friends) Loose sentence structure, vernacular speech
Intimate (Language between lovers or other close family/friends) Pet names, inside jokes
Source:  How Did That Register? Five Levels of Formality in Language - ALTA Language Services
_Brother_, _*man*_ and such like are casual words.  In this context _*Nigga*_ is on an intimate register.  Definitely NOT to be bandied around as if it was just casual speech.  Regardless of what our French or Spanish speaking members have asserted above.  If I say_ “Ah, man!”_ in a business meeting, it will not raise too many eyebrows.
If I were to say ”_Ah, Nigga!_” in the same context, it would probably get me fired.

In UK english the word *cunt* poses a similar dilemma.  Just because you hear folks on a building site shouting it across the street, doesn’t mean it’s socially okay to use.  It simply means those you heard using it have poor social skills.


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## broglet

Soleil_Couchant said:


> broglet, with the "a" ending (what we're talking about here)...it's not the same level of offense as the "-er" ending


This is undoubtedly so in writing, but is it pronounced differently or do American speakers spell it out to ensure the correct level of offence is conveyed?


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## wildan1

broglet said:
			
		

> ...is it pronounced differently or do American speakers spell it out to ensure the correct level of offence is conveyed?


Almost all Americans speaking standard English have rhotic pronunciation (Rs at the end of any word are fully sounded).

AAVE-speakers often are non-rhotic--hence the spelling _nigga_ mirrors the non-rhotic pronunciation of _-er._


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## WannaBFluent

L'irlandais said:


> The N word is not just like brother or man. That is just wrong. Rappers choose to use the N word for exactly that reason, to shock listeners. Also the OP is asking about using this word in NY. I can see why you personally might get away with it in France, simply because of the poor level of English of the Rap community here. It is not at all that surprising they don’t find it overly shocking. They don’t find it ridiculous to hear a white Parisien saying “Whad’s up broooo?” Context is everything



It is.
How many times I've seen video footage of young men calling each other 'nigga' every few seconds.

I don't understand what you mean with the white Parisien, but of course in France we won't talk in English. But still, you got some people even white even Parisian that says 'ça va mon négro ?' without any racist connotation. I personally found it ridiculous but some people do it. 

I also knew a guy from a very rich arrondissement of Paris. He was rich and originally from the Maghreb and I perfectly remember that he was calling everyone 'négro'. We were 14 years old by the way.


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## broglet

WannaBFluent said:


> I also knew a guy from a very rich arrondissement of Paris. He was rich and originally from the Maghreb and I perfectly remember that he was calling everyone 'négro'. We were 14 years old by the way.


But how old are you now? Passing time changes everything.  O tempora! O mores!  Plus ça change plus c'est probablement une chose différente


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## L'irlandais

I said what I had to say in post #26.  I feel it was important to do so; in order that language learners are not misled by your misunderstanding of what is and what is not acceptable in English, (both AmE and UK).
You don’t have to believe it, if you don’t wish to.


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## Nicomon

[...]

Of course you need to be careful using it  - and same goes for the French equivalent - but what if you were paid to translate dialogues, for instance, and this was the sentence at hand?


> -* Triple jump is a nigga thing!  *


  Would you bluntly refuse to translate it because it's considered offensive and isn't something you would normally say?
What if you're not at liberty to rewrite the English, to then translate?

The closest so far is indeed, literally,  what Joelooc wrote : 





> _C'est un truc de nègre ! _


  I might have said / written : ...  _c'est une affaire de Nègre / de Black.  
_
The verlan _renoi _wouldn't be understood outside of France... I don't think.


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## joelooc

Dead on, Sis!


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## Blougouz

Un truc de nègre?... moi ça m’évoque plutôt un dur labeur!...

Je propose: 
Un truc de négro (peut être entendu comme un peu à très offensif, ou humoristique en fonction du contexte)
Un truc de black (pas offensif)


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## mehoul

Nicomon said:


> The closest so far is indeed, literally,  what Joelooc wrote :   I might have said / written : ...  _c'est une affaire de nègre / de black._



Nobody would say "une affaire de nègre" in France. Un truc de black, maybe.


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## Nicomon

Blougouz said:


> Un truc de nègre?... moi ça m’évoque plutôt un dur labeur!...


 _That's a nigga thing_ peut évoquer la même chose, à mon avis. Tout dépend du contexte.

_Nigga_ _est à nigger ce que brotha / sista _sont à_ brother / sister.   _
Perso, je trouve _négro_ un peu enfantin, mais je n'ai rien contre non plus.

De ces deux exemples copiés au hasard, je préfère le premier : 





> - et j'étais attiré par le jazz, qui restait dans les années 40 et 50, pour les gens bien-pensants, _un truc de nègre_.
> - Les blancs sont pas meilleurs, le rap c'est _un truc de négros_.





mehoul said:


> Nobody would say "une affaire de nègre" in France.


  As a French Quebecker, I wouldn't say « _Black _» in French.
If I wanted to say _Black_ as opposed to _Nigga/Nigger_, I'd say _Noir(e) _in French.





> L'emprunt intégral _Black_ est déconseillé, puisqu’il s’intègre mal au système de la langue française et qu’il concurrence le terme français _Noir _(et sa variante _Noire_) qui, par ailleurs, a l'avantage d'être neutre et exempt de connotation raciste. *Source*


 That said, my point mainly was to suggest something else than «_ truc_ ». Hence :  _affaire de Nègre / de Black.  _
I could have suggested : _ truc / affaire de Noir, _but that would be :  _That's a Black thing_.


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## Oddmania

La différence culturelle à ce sujet est tellement énorme que c'est très délicat à traduire. Je ne suis pas tout à fait certain de savoir à quoi "_a nigga thing_" se rapporte aujourd'hui, mais en France je n'ai pas l'impression qu'on associe le rap ou quoi que ce soit d'autre à une couleur de peau en particulier. Pour moi, "un truc de Noir", ce serait quelque chose de typiquement *africain *(une danse traditionnelle, un plat cuisiné, etc.). De la même manière, "a white trash thing" se traduit difficilement parce que ce n'est pas vraiment un stéréotype qui existe ici.

En revanche, comme il y a une véritable culture maghrébine en France, on entend beaucoup plus souvent "un truc d'Arabe / de beur / de rebeu" (en parlant du ramadan par exemple, de ne pas manger de porc, etc.).

Dans le sud de la France, on n'utilise pas trop le verlan, mais je suis d'accord avec WannaBFluent pour ce qui est de "un truc de renoi". Si on se limite au français européen, c'est ce qui me semble le plus proche de la phrase d'origine.


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## Soleil_Couchant

Yes, Oddmania is right. [...] it IS difficult to translate because it IS a very sensitive subject in American English. Like, for instance, Nicomon, I'm not sure if this is you talking or if you're quoting something, but "_Nigga_ _est à nigger ce que brotha / sista _sont à_ brother / sister" _ is absolutely false, lol. Nigg** is highly highly highly highly highly offensive, whereas "brother" is obviously not. Yes, the "a" ending for 'er' makes them both slang-y, but that example is not equivalent at all. So I don't understand that. Nigga, as has been explained, has been used/adopted in some African American circles in a non-offensive/racist way (like polygot was talking about), but not everyone in that community agrees, and it's even _more_ questionable when white people are using it, such as in polygot's example. So understanding all these sensitives in English _does_ help when trying to come up with something in French. But there aren't the same race dynamics in France as in the US, so it is very difficult to translate.  I'm reminded even of a time I was in Romania, and a Hungarian used the "N" word ...a British person and I looked at the person, stunned, saying "you can't just SAY that" and the person was like, "but I hear rap people use it! I meant it in the 'cool' way..." And we were like, no that's with the "a" at the end and not the -er, but even still....don't. Just don't. Lol


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## mehoul

Peut-être que dans le parler "djeun" on dirait "c'est un truc de kebla". Je pense que ce mot n'est pas insultant (?)


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## Nicomon

Soleil_Couchant said:


> Like, for instance, Nicomon, I'm not sure if this is you talking or if you're quoting something, but "_Nigga_ _est à nigger _ce que_ brotha / sista _sont à_ brother / sister" _ is absolutely false, lol.


 I didn't quote anything.  It was me talking, and I meant the accent/pronunciation.

I never wrote that _nigga_ and _brotha/sista _had de same connotation/meaning.
I have lived long enough to know the difference.  And I can read, too. 

To me_ nigga = nigger._.. hence my translating it as_ nègre. _Offensive in both languages.  Otherwise, I'd say (simply) _Noir.  _
I might go as far as _ négro _but I certainly wouldn't translate it as  *kebla* or *renoi* (links to Wiktionnaire) if I wanted to be understood outside of France.
  So I'll repeat what I wrote in my previous post : 





> That said, my point mainly was to suggest something else than «_ truc_ ». Hence : _affaire de Nègre / de Black. _
> I could have suggested : _ truc / affaire de Noir, _but that would be : _That's a Black thing_.


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## joelooc

No matter how you put it "Th*a*t's a xxxx thing" means you are already seggregating, so what's the use of pussyfooting by using foreign words (black) or verlan slang (renoi, rebeu), stand up for what you mean, accept the consequences or shut it and watch in silence.
I agree that a dictionary's purpose shouldn't be to encourage young people to use offensive language towards anyone just for the sake of mimicking some trends, the whys and wherefores of which they don't fully understand. Then again it's a two way street, why should a minority be allowed to talk trash and demand respect from others.


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## Soleil_Couchant

Nicomon said:


> To me_ nigga = nigger._..



But see, that's the thing. They're not equal. Nigga risks being offensive, but in some circles, it's not. Whereas nigg** is ALWAYS extremely offensive.


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## Nicomon

Soleil_Couchant said:


> Nigga risks being offensive, but in some circles, it's not.


 Same goes for _nègre_, that can be translated as the English _negro_  (which I believe to be less pejorative than _nigger_).

What follows is copied from the same *source * that I quoted in post 36. 





> Le terme _Nègre_ et sa variante au féminin _Négresse_ portent une connotation péjorative très forte, associée au racisme. Toutefois, ces termes sont parfois employés par les Noirs eux-mêmes, pour rendre compte d'une spécificité culturelle valorisée.


   For those who might think that the French _négro_ is less pejorative, this is from TLFI under* négro*


> *  Péj. Synon. fam. de nègre*._ Chapalangarra, qui est un négro comme Mina, et réfugié comme lui dans votre pays_ (Mérimée, _Carmen_, 1845, p.37)._Le négro paraît dans l'entrée et commence sa complainte. Ali, _se réveillant, d'une voix énorme_. Veux-tu te sauver! sale négro! bête à poux! eh, cul noir!_ (Lenormand, _Simoun_, 1921, 2etabl., p.6).


 
As an added info, this is from this page: *nègre - Wiktionary*


> (informal, Louisiana, Cajun French) friend, buddy
> (informal, Louisiana, Cajun French) [term of endearment] honey, baby, precious
> 
> Usage notes
> In Cajun French, nègre has little or no racial connotation in most contexts.


Related thread :  *Mon nègre*
And : *Le Mot du Jour: "nègre" : CajunFrench*


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## Esperluète

If we stick to the OP’s brief (an über-offensive phrase but used in jest in the company of black people… “_not meant to be racist. It is just an expression used by white or even black among friends_” […] “_and of course there are black friends present who won't take any offense cos they know it's all in good fun_” ) then “un truc de nègre/négro” is fine. “Un truc” is good here (“C’est un truc de gauchiste ça”… “C’est un truc de mec/meuf ça” etc.). However, I don’t like “une affaire” here, it just doesn’t sound right.

“Un truc de black” would be too tame here though. “Un truc de renoi” is better, but quite apart from the fact that it may not be understood outside of France (as pointed out by Nicomon in #32) it’s not strong enough. We have to bear in mind here that this person wants to shock his Black friends, and amuse them in equal measure (maybe because s/he’s trying, desperately, to be part of their group or feel accepted by them).

[...]


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## Nicomon

Esperluète said:


> However, I don’t like “une affaire” here, it just doesn’t sound right.


  C'est peut-être plus courant au Québec... je ne sais pas.  Je suis plus portée à dire  _affaire _que _truc_.
Extrait de cette page : Affaire


> *Affaire* (f) : truc, machin.
> 
> _Ex : C'est quoi c't'affaire-là?
> Y a ben des affaires que tu sais pas._



Dans la phrase qui suit, je le traduirais par _man thing_.  





> Ceux qui pensent que *le rap est une affaire d'hommes *vont s'étonner.


 Merci pour le dernier paragraphe de ton post, Esperluète.


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## Esperluète

Blougouz said:


> Un truc de nègre?... moi ça m’évoque plutôt un dur labeur!... [...] Un truc de black (pas offensif)



C’est précisément pour cela que l'emploi d'une telle expression est envisageable ici : dans #3, la personne qui dit "nigga" vise à choquer le groupe, à caricaturer (tout en cherchant probablement à bien se faire voir du groupe), on doit donc trouver une expression qui véhicule les clichés les plus odieux habituellement utilisés par les franges les plus racistes. C’est dans ce cadre qu’il faut interpréter l'emploi de cette expression à mon avis.

Et entre « nègre » (que tu n’aimes pas) et « négro » (que tu valides), y'a pas grande différence.

« (Un truc de) black » ne convient pas ici àma, trop neutre, « black » est employé par tout le monde en France sans connotation particulière, idem pour « keubla ». Au contraire même, il est souvent employé par des tenants du politiquement convenable. Le but de la manœuvre ici (#3) est de choquer en douceur ("nigga"), tout en restant dans un contexte où le terme ordurier sera compris/toléré.


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

Nicomon said:


> @ ain'tt :  I copied "kebla" without a "u" from mehoul's post.
> I honestly don't know how it's spelled, and don't really care as I woudn't recommend it anyway.



Right! (I think there's a BD called _Keubla_.) 

In AE, we often hear "Its a Black thang." Humorous among Blacks, perhaps less acceptable pronounced that way by a White. Non-African-Americans should never say "Nigger", however it's pronounced.


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## Soleil_Couchant

Nicomon, nègre might indeed be okay as a French translation for 'nigga' (or, as the best possible option since I'm not sure a 100% equivalent translation of this whole thing exists), I was just pointing out the nigga is not the same as nigg-r in English like you had said in your post.

And now I think I'm losing my mind, because going all the way back up to the OP's post, they wanted a translation "c'est une chose pour blancs!" I could have sworn the question before was how to translate "that's a nigga" thing, not "a white thing"... in that case, this thread definitely went waaaaay off on the wrong tangent. Did it change or were we all just collectively responding to the wrong thing? Maybe because the title says one thing but the OPs' question says another.

(Also, while some posts were more "firm" than others...I didn't see much moral police here except pointing out that certain words are really offensive and to be careful. Like I said way back in #17, I get the context given and need for translation per that context, but also, just, be careful for future people reading this thread.)


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## Nicomon

[...]

And I'm pointing out what follows: 





> *Nigga and nigger are the same thing*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The reason nigga became a word wasn't because black rappers re-appropriated it. It was just the accent and dialect of the region in which it started. White southerners made the word nigga because they pronounced it differently. It is the same word. Blacks calling eachother nigga are patronizing eachother and using a pronunciation of the word that white people started.


 Obviously, some agree, while others don't.
So I'll repeat again :  * to me* (as a francophone)_ nigga = nigger.  
_
I guess you might say... that's a Nico thing.


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## Kecha

Madonna received a shit-ton of backlash for using "nigga" in a post about her (white) son. Gwyneth Paltrow also did, for using it about a Jay-Z and Kanye West show. Paris Hilton for describing herself and a friend as "niggers" because they were dancing on rap music. Tim Allen for simply _discussing _how the word usage is confusing because a black person can use it but he can't. More recently, Viggo Mortensen got vilified for just using it, discussing a period film... 

If you are white, you can't even say "nigger is a racist word" without being called racist for not saying "the n-word" instead.

In short: it's a minefield. Avoid it.


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## L'irlandais

[...]
One cannot use an intimate word in a casual setting without rustling some feathers.


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## Soleil_Couchant

L'irlandais said:


> [...] One cannot use an intimate word in a casual setting without rustling some feathers.



Agreed, irlandais and Kecha. And, this is a very sensitive subject in the US so it would be prudent to listen to what the native speakers are saying on this (this thread helps demonstrate that non-natives generally don't understand the nuances... And then when explaining the nuances, we're told we're being moral police. Idk.).
[...]


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

[...]

But if we want to communicate faithfully what someone says, we have to do so as best we can ("Yo, bitch!" - "Hé, la pute!"??). It's a translator thing. And I'd say 'truc' rather than 'affaire'.


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## gibouille

I suggest 
"c'est un truc de renoi" 
"renoi" is "noir" in verlan which is twisting syllables for "black". by reversing the syllables you reduce the racist potential of the word and it can be used equally by people of any shades of skin. 
Don't ever use "Nègre" unless you know exactly what you do, not everyone is Dany Laferrière.


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## wildan1

Dear Forum members,

The translation aspect of this discussion has been thoroughly explored and debated.

The discussion, debate or criticism of members' attitudes or intentions, however, were removed. All such issues should be raised, if necessary, via private messaging and not publicly in a discussion.

This thread is now closed, as recent substantive posts simply repeat points made earlier on.

wildan1, Moderator


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