I am Californian, therefore I say dude.

After many years of trying to quit, I have finally managed to kick my dude habit. I can’t remember the last time I said it at work and it very rarely slips out in my personal life. But get me on the beach with a beer in my hand and, inevitably, it comes out. No way dude! Dude, are you serious? I am so stoked, dude. Yup, just call me Keanu.

In French, mon gars is somewhat of a dude equivalent. Mon is pronounced how it looks (kinda like “Jamaican mon” if you need some help) while gars is pronounced like car without the s (oh zee French with those tricky consonants at the end of the word that no one pronounces).

From what I understand, it’s short for mon garçon (the French word for my boy) and is a casual word that’s often used between male friends. So don’t go saying it your boss or mother-in-law! The verdict is still out on whether you can use it with your girlfriends, but I say go for it and be a rule breaker.

While dude is the Californian English translation, it also works as a substitute for man, bro, guy, son, or mate (if you’re Brit or an Ozzie). I even saw one website translate is as playa, which I found incredibly hilarious.

By the way, today is Bastille Day so vive la révolution, mon gars!