kif-kif

French

Etymology

At first in soldiers’ slang among the Armée d’Afrique. From common Maghrebi Arabic, including Algerian Arabic كيف كيف (kīf kīf, “the same; in the same way”), from كيف (kīf, “how; like”), itself from Arabic كَيْفَ (kayfa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kif.kif/

Adjective

kif-kif (invariable)

1. (informal) same, alike

Synonyms

• pareil
• pareillement
• kif-kif bourricot

Derived terms

• c’est kif-kif

Further reading

• “kif-kif”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.