French inclusive language can be tricky.
Some people see it as a tool for a more inclusive society. Others consider it extreme. The Académie Française even qualified inclusive language as “a deadly danger” to the French language!
But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it! Inclusive language has a positive impact, not only on society as a whole, but on your business as well.
So let’s dig deeper.
Table of contents
- French inclusive language is controversial
- What does inclusive language look like in French?
- How to use inclusive language in a way that speaks to your audience
Reading time: about 5 minutes
French inclusive language is controversial
In 2023, the French senate voted in favour of a bill banning gender-inclusive language from official communications. MPs still have to vote on the law for it to pass, and no date has been announced yet [as of February 2024].
Around the same time, President Emmanuel Macron also made a statement: “In this language, masculine is neutral”. He referred to a grammar rule that dates back to the 18th century: “masculine trumps feminine”.
In other words: when you’re talking to 99 women and 1 man, you’re supposed to address your audience using the masculine form. Yes, you read that right.
In French, the masculine form is used by default, even though our brain doesn’t see it as neutral.
If you want to dig deeper into dozens of studies on the impact of inclusive language, here’s a (non-exhaustive) list:
But what do French people think about inclusive language?
- A recent study shows that 51 % of the French are in favour of inclusive language. And aren’t language users supposed to decide what they want to use?
Because society is changing and more and more people are paying attention to diversity and inclusion, many organizations have decided to use inclusive language. Their goal is to represent and talk to people of all genders. And to stop conveying stereotypes. 🔥
What does inclusive language look like in French?
French inclusive language can take many forms.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Most of the time, you can use existing words to make French inclusive. The key is rephrasing your sentences.
Because there is no neutral gender in French, you have to navigate between the masculine and the feminine forms.
Let’s say you want to use a gender-inclusive alternative to “nos salariés” (meaning “our employees”).
Here are 5 options:
- Using both masculine and feminine: nos salariées et salariés
- A collective noun: nos équipes (i.e. “our team”)
- A metaphor: nos talents (i.e. “our talents”)
- The middle dot: nos salarié·es (that one is quite controversial!)
- The graphic E: nos salariéEs (this is quite new as well)
The tricky part isn’t finding an inclusive alternative, it’s choosing the right one for your audience.
How to use inclusive language in a way that speaks to your audience
If you want to use inclusive language in your content, you need to use the right words. Because you want to convey your message in a way that resonates with your audience.
Here are 5 questions you want to ask yourself (as a solopreneur or as a team).
Who is your target audience?
- How old are they?
- Are they used to inclusive language?
- Does DEIB matter to them?
What are their preferences?
Are they open to new words or forms, like the middle dot (”nos employé·es”)?
Or would they be more comfortable with inclusive language using existing words?
What’s their focus?
Would they rather make women more visible or use more gender-neutral language to include non-binary people?
That will matter in your inclusive language strategy.
Where are they located?
Inclusive language can be different in France, Switzerland, Canada or Ivory Coast.
Working with a translator who knows your local audience’s language is key.
What are their priorities?
- SEO?
- Style?
- Short sentences?
- Clarity?
- Embodying their values?
PS: You can have it all! 😉
Do you have any questions about inclusive language?
Do you need a translation from English or German into inclusive French?
Let me know! 😊