If you travel through Wallonia, especially in places where Walloon dialect is still alive, you might hear the word “biesse.”
Pronounced a bit like bee-ess, it literally means a fool, an idiot, or simply a silly person.
It’s not usually harsh or cruel, it is often said with a kind of rough affection, a way of calling someone out for doing something silly.
For example: “T’es nèn biesse!” can mean “Don’t be stupid!” but in a tone closer to “Come on, don’t be daft!”
Like many dialect words, “biesse” carries more than just meaning, it conveys belonging.
Using it signals you’re speaking the local tongue, part of a shared cultural and linguistic heritage that exists alongside Belgium’s official languages.
Interestingly, the word also pops up in French-speaking Belgium outside of traditional Walloon contexts, almost as a “borrowed flavour word.” It gives everyday speech a local, earthy character.
So next time someone makes a goofy mistake, instead of shaking your head, you could try a Belgian twist: “Quelle biesse!” and you’ll sound like a true insider in Wallonia.
See all our previous ‘Belgian word of the day’ features here.
