chelou
adjectiveInformal
A French slang term. Browse all French slang.
What it means
Shady, weird, off. Of people, places and situations that don't feel right.
Examples with translations
Ce mec est un peu chelou.
That guy is a bit shady.
C'était une ambiance chelou.
The atmosphere was strange.
Where it comes from
Verlan for louche, which already means 'shady'. As with relou, the verlan form has largely displaced the original in casual speech.