chelou
weird / sketchy / sus
Intermediate Adjective
🔊
Pronunciation
/ʃə.lu/
💡
Cultural Note
Verlan of 'louche' (shady/sketchy) — louche → che-lou → chelou. This is peak French suspicion in a single word. That restaurant with no customers but somehow still open? Chelou. Your friend who suddenly has a new car but no job? Très chelou. The French have elevated distrust to an art form, and 'chelou' is their masterpiece.
📝 Example Sentences
Y'a un truc chelou dans cette histoire.
There's something sketchy about this story.
Il est chelou ce mec, il me regarde bizarre.
That guy is weird, he's looking at me funny.
📊 Adjective Forms
| Gender | Form |
|---|---|
| feminine | cheloue |
| masculine | chelou |
| feminine_plural | cheloues |
| masculine_plural | chelous |