Le vocabulaire informatique en anglais : omniprésent et donc indispensable !

Aujourd’hui, tout le monde est connecté à la grande toile. Et donc, tout le monde utilise un ordinateur. Néanmoins, les termes employés en informatique ne sont pas toujours clairs pour tout le monde et pour cause : beaucoup d’entre eux sont issus de l’anglais.

Et puis, si vous travaillez dans une ambiance internationale, connaître un peu de vocabulaire informatique en anglais est absolument indispensable.

On commence par la base de la base : tout le matériel informatique.

• Computer = ordinateur
• Personal Computer = PC
• Laptop = ordinateur portable

Most people use a laptop both at work and at home. They don’t have a PC.

• Keyboard = clavier
• Key = touche de clavier
• Touchpad = pavé tactile
• Mouse = souris
• Mouse pad = tapis de souris
• Screen = écran
• Printer = imprimante
• Loudspeakers = enceintes

 In France, we have a special keyboard called AZERTY because of the 5 first keys of it. My screen is too small for watching movies, but it’s perfect for working. The printer doesn’t work anymore, maybe there Is not enough toner in it. You shouldn’t use your loudspeakers for professional web calls, the quality of the sound is too bad.

• Motherboard = carte mère
• Sound card = carte son
• Video card = carte graphique
• Central processing unit = processeur central
• Graphics processing unit = processeur graphique
• Random Access Memory (RAM) = Mémoire vive
• Hard disk = disque dur

 The motherboard is a print circuit, and it is the most important part of a computer. You need a very good video card if you like playing video games. The RAM is where the operating system and data are kept so the processor can quickly reach them. In other words, no RAM no speed!

On continue avec le matériel informatique, mais cette fois-ci nous allons nous concentrer sur l’aspect « stockage et voyage des données ».

• Memory stick = clé USB
• Universal Serial Bus = USB
• Memory card = carte mémoire
• SD Card = carte SD
• Chip = puce

USB is very useful, but it will soon be replaced by SD Cards. Indeed, some computer are sold without a USB port!

• Plug-and-play (PnP) = connecter et jouer (sans nécessité de configurer quoi que ce soit)
• To plug = connecter
• Wireless = sans fil

 Plug-and-play means that you just have to plug the device and the computer will automatically recognize it. You won’t have to install anything.

• High Definition Multimedia Interface = HDMI
• Cable = câble
• Plug = prise

 Nowadays, every computer and every smart tv are coming with a HDMI port, but you may don’t know why. Basically, this connector is capable of transmitting high-quality audio and video between device just using a cable. 

Première chose que l’on voit apparaître sur l’écran lorsqu’on allume un ordinateur : le bureau et son environnement.

• Operating System (OS) = système d’exploitation
• Settings = paramètres
• To reboot = redémarrer
• To update = mettre à jour, actualiser

Choosing your OS is like choosing your political party: you can be a Macintosh fanatic or a Windows ‘one. But you can’t be both. For sure, you can choose a minor party, like Ubuntu. Anyway, no matter which one you will choose, the day you will have to reboot your computer for an update will come, and you will have to be patient!

• Desktop = bureau
• Window = fenêtre
• Folder = dossier
• File = fichier
• To save = enregistrer
• To delate = supprimer
• Data = données

 Some people are very, very organized and you can note it because of their perfect desktop: no files, no images, nothing, only folders! Well, most people have a mess on their desktop, when they download something, they just click on « save on the desktop » and that’s it!

• Copy/paste = copier/coller
• Shortcut = raccourcis clavier
• Screenshot = capture d’écran
• Drag-and-Drop = glisser-déposer

If you use a computer at work, you probably know some shortcuts. Like: Ctrl+P to paste and Ctrl+C to copy. For a screenshot, it depends on your OS, but usually, you have a special key on your keyboard for that. Anyway, personally I like the drag-and-drop system … It’s easy, and you don’t have to memorize a combination of key to use it!

• Word-processor = traitement de texte
• Spreadsheet = tableur
• To type = taper (au clavier)
• Backup = sauvegarde
• To install = installer
• Freeware = logiciel libre

A computer is useless if you don’t install some software. For example, you will need a word-processor if you want to type your business marketing plan … And a spreadsheet, like Excel, is also essential. Of course, you don’t have to pay for it, you can find a freeware.  

• Bug = anomalie
• Blue screen of death (BSOD) = écran bleu de la mort, écran de plantage

 In French we never use the word « anomolie » when something went wrong. We use the English word, but we often write it bad: boggue or beug…

Internet, que l’on côtoie au quotidien, que ce soit pour le travail, ou pour la détente. Impossible de passer à côté de ce vocabulaire informatique en anglais !

• Internet Service Provider (ISP) = Fournisseur d’Accès Internet
• Bandwidth = bande passante
• Server = serveur
• Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) = Wifi

 When your Wi-Fi is too slow, you just call your Internet Service Provider… And they always swear they will fix the problem soon. But the real thing is that too many people are connecting to their servers …

• To download = télécharger (du réseau vers l’ordinateur)
• To upload = télécharger (de l’ordinateur au réseau)
• Peer-to-Peer (P2P) = télécharger en pair-à-pair
• Streaming = télécharger en direct
• Hotspot = Wifi public
• Broadband = connexion à haut débit

Let’s say it, a broadband is highly necessary. Without it, every single file you need to download or upload will take long minutes, even hours! And if you want to enjoy a movie (a movie in English of course) or a series (a series to improve your English), you need a connection good enough for streaming. (And we won’t speak about downloading a movie by P2P because it is illegal).  

• Browser = navigateur
• Search engine = moteur de recherche
• Keyword = mot-clé
• Link = lien
• Website = site web
• A domain name = un nom de domaine (ndd)

 To browse the internet, you need two things: a browser (Chrome, Firefox or Explorer) and a search engine (Yahoo still exists). Once you are on Google, you juste type your keyword (or even a sentence if you want) and you will get a billion results in 0.03 seconds. Then, you choose one of them, you click on the link and that’s it!

For those who don’t know, a domain name is the name of a website. Like «speakup-englishcoaching ».

• Cookie = cookie
• A post = un article de blog, un billet
• Bookmark = favoris

 Once you are on the website, you will have to accept cookies. They are quite inoffensive, but some people don’t appreciate they collect your personal data, like your IP, the date and hour you visit the webpage, which links you clicked on …

Si on parle d’internet, il faut bien évidement parler de sécurité en ligne. D’ailleurs, pour certaines entreprises, cet aspect est absolument primordial. En effet la fuite d’informations sensibles ou l’espionnage industriel ne sont pas en marge !

• To hack = pirater
• Hacker = un pirate informatique
• Cybersecurity = cybersécurité
• Firewall = pare-feu
• Virtual Private Network (VPN) = réseau virtuel privé
• Malware = virus
• Spyware = logiciel espion

The internet is a fantastic tool. But cybersecurity is more and more an issue because hackers are using malwares and spywares more and more sophisticated. Nowadays, a simple firewall isn’t enough anymore. You need a VPN to secure your connection.

Les réseaux sociaux … Les pires ennemis de certains chefs d’entreprise dont les employés ne peuvent s’empêcher d’aller faire un tour sur Facebook pendant les heures de travail. Néanmoins, pour de nombreuses entreprises, les réseaux sociaux font partie intégrante de leur stratégie marketing ! Il faut donc savoir les utiliser et connaître le bon vocabulaire informatique en anglais.

• Account = compte
• User = utilisateur
• Username = identifiant
• To log into/ to sign in = s’identifier/ se connecter
• To log out/ to sign out = se déconnecter
• To sign up= se créer un compte
• Login form = un formulaire de connexion
• Password = mot de passe

 If you want to be part of a social network, you have to create an account and sign up by choosing a username and a password. You will need them every time you want to log into your account.

• Add as a friend = ajouter à la liste d’amis
• To unfriend = retirer de la liste d’amis
• To blacklist = mettre sur la liste noire
• Friend request = demande d’ami

 Once you have your account, you can add as a friend people by sending them a friend request. And if you decide that someone isn’t worthy of being you friend anymore, then you just have to unfriend. You can also put this person on your blacklist to be sure he will never come back.

• Chat = discussion en ligne
• Private message = message privé
• Story = statut éphémère (Instagram)
• To follow = suivre
• Subscriber = abonné
• To tweet = twitter
• Post = message

 Social networks are basically about communication: you can chat with your friends by sending them a private message. And it’s also about keeping in touch, being aware of your friend’s life even if you don’t see them. You can follow them or subscribe to their channel o page and you will receive a push notification when something new is posted.

• Crowdfunding = financement participatif
• Offline = hors ligne
• Online = en ligne
• Flame war = débat virulent

 Social networks are also used to express one’s ideas. Sometimes, people went aggressive and it becomes a flame war. But the good thing is that you can also use social networks for promoting your project. Like a crowdfunding or a business creation.

On termine cette liste de vocabulaire informatique en anglais avec l’un des outils que les professionnels utilisent le plus au quotidien. D’ailleurs pour compléter cet apport nous vous conseillons la lecture de cet article : comment rédiger un mail professionnel ?

• To email= envoyer un mail
• Inbox = boîte de réception
• To check an email = regarder ses mails
• To receive an email = recevoir un mail

At work, you have to check your emails several times per day because if you receive an email from a client or a provider, you need to answer it quickly!

• To forward a mail = faire suivre un mail
• To send an email = envoyer un email
• To enclose a document = joindre un document
• Enclosed file = fichier joint
• Mailing liste = liste de distribution par mail
• Recipient = destinataire
• Draft = brouillon
• Spam = pourriel, mail non désiré
• Sender = expéditeur

Emails are widely used by professionals because they are so useful. You can send an email to several recipients by creating a mailing list, you can forward an email by a click and you can enclose any kind of documents. The only annoying thing about emails are spams …