Why do I need to know les poulets?
This French expression can sometimes lead to confusion, as poulet is also the ordinary French word for chicken.
What does it mean?
The French expression les poulets, roughly pronounced lay poo-lay (listen here), translates literally as "the chickens".
But beyond the farm animal, it is also an informal way to refer to the police or police officers.
So what do police officers and chickens have in common?
In the mid-19th century, Paris was undergoing a major transformation. Among the new developments was police headquarters in the heart of the capital, very close to the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Its central location made it easier for officers to reach different parts of Paris.
There was just one small detail about the site - it had previously been home to the city’s poultry market. Chickens were sold there both alive and already roasted, ready to take home. And Parisians, known for their sharp humour and rebellious spirit, were quick to spot the connection. When the police moved into the building, locals apparently found it only natural to nickname the officers les poulets, or “the chickens”. The nickname eventually spread far beyond Paris and remains part of the French language today.
In modern French poulet is more commonly used to refer to chicken as a meat, while when the bird is alive it is usually called une poule.
The nickname itself is not offensive, but it's casual and often used in anti-police contexts - we would therefore advise not using it when you're talking to a police officer, unless you know them well and know that they have a good sense of humour.
For example the below placard, spotted during the lycée protests, says 'we want more masters [as in the university degree] not the cops'. It's also a playful pun on the name of the popular fried chicken chain Master Poulet.
Ce matin, école Estienne (public), Paris
— Mathieu Arbogast (@mathieuarbogast.bsky.social) 13 October 2026 at 10:00
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There are many other nicknames French people use to describe police officers: keufs, condés, flics...
Use it like this
Attention, les poulets arrivent ! - Watch out, the cops are coming!
Il s’est fait arrêter par les poulets. - He got arrested by the cops.
Les poulets l’ont interrogé pendant deux heures. - The cops questioned him for two hours.
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