Sometimes, expressing emotions or frustration can be tricky in another language. When learning French, you might wonder how to say words like “damn.” This term is often used to show frustration, surprise, or even excitement in English, and its French equivalents vary depending on the situation.
In this article, we will explore how to say “damn” in French, including different expressions for various contexts. You’ll also learn alternative phrases, suitable responses, and fun exercises to help you practice using these words in real-life situations. This will make your French learning journey more interesting and practical.
Ways to Say “Damn” in French
In French, there are several ways to express frustration, surprise, or excitement, similar to saying “damn” in English. These phrases range from mild to strong expressions and are used in both formal and informal settings. Let’s explore some of the most common ways.
1. Zut
Pronunciation: zoot
Meaning: Darn or darn it.
In a Sentence:
- Zut! J’ai oublié mes clés. (Darn! I forgot my keys.)
- Zut, il pleut encore! (Darn, it’s raining again!)
2. Mince
Pronunciation: manss
Meaning: Shoot or darn.
In a Sentence:
- Mince, je suis en retard! (Shoot, I’m late!)
- Oh mince, ce n’est pas ce que je voulais. (Oh shoot, that’s not what I wanted.)
3. Oh là là
Pronunciation: oh la la
Meaning: Wow or oh no, depending on tone.
In a Sentence:
- Oh là là, c’était une grosse erreur! (Oh no, that was a big mistake!)
- Oh là là, regarde cette vue! (Wow, look at that view!)
4. Bon sang
Pronunciation: bohn sahn
Meaning: Good grief or darn.
In a Sentence:
- Bon sang, où est passé mon téléphone? (Good grief, where did my phone go?)
- Bon sang, je n’arrive pas à le croire! (Darn, I can’t believe it!)
5. Flûte
Pronunciation: flute
Meaning: Darn or phooey (mild).
In a Sentence:
- Flûte, j’ai fait tomber mon verre. (Darn, I dropped my glass.)
- Oh flûte, le magasin est fermé! (Oh darn, the store is closed!)
6. Purée
Pronunciation: poo-ray
Meaning: Darn or gosh.
In a Sentence:
- Purée, il fait froid aujourd’hui! (Darn, it’s cold today!)
- Quelle purée, cet ordinateur ne marche jamais! (Darn it, this computer never works!)
7. Sapristi
Pronunciation: sah-pree-stee
Meaning: Gosh or heavens (old-fashioned).
In a Sentence:
- Sapristi, ce gâteau est délicieux! (Gosh, this cake is delicious!)
- Sapristi, il y a beaucoup de monde ici. (Heavens, there are so many people here.)
8. Diable
Pronunciation: dee-ah-bluh
Meaning: Devil or darn.
In a Sentence:
- Que diable fais-tu ici? (What the devil are you doing here?)
- Diable, ce plan ne fonctionne pas. (Darn, this plan isn’t working.)
9. Nom d’un chien
Pronunciation: nom duh shyen
Meaning: Good heavens or dang it (literally “name of a dog”).
In a Sentence:
- Nom d’un chien, pourquoi est-ce si compliqué? (Dang it, why is this so complicated?)
- Nom d’un chien, j’ai encore oublié! (Dang it, I forgot again!)
10. Punaise
Pronunciation: poo-nez
Meaning: Darn or shoot (literally “thumbtack”).
In a Sentence:
- Punaise, il y a beaucoup de devoirs ce soir! (Darn, there’s a lot of homework tonight!)
- Oh punaise, j’ai perdu mon portefeuille. (Oh shoot, I lost my wallet.)
11. Crotte
Pronunciation: kroht
Meaning: Darn or crap (literally “dropping”).
In a Sentence:
- Crotte, j’ai cassé mon stylo. (Darn, I broke my pen.)
- Quelle crotte, j’ai tout renversé! (What a mess, I spilled everything!)
12. Mille sabords
Pronunciation: meel sah-bor
Meaning: Thousand portholes (used to express frustration or surprise).
In a Sentence:
- Mille sabords, cette voiture est trop lente! (Darn, this car is too slow!)
- Mille sabords, c’est incroyable! (Wow, that’s incredible!)
13. Bordel
Pronunciation: bor-del
Meaning: Damn or mess (strong).
In a Sentence:
- Quel bordel ici! (What a mess here!)
- Bordel, ça ne marche jamais! (Damn, it never works!)
14. Fichtre
Pronunciation: fee-shtre
Meaning: Darn (formal or old-fashioned).
In a Sentence:
- Fichtre, je ne m’attendais pas à cela! (Darn, I didn’t expect that!)
- Oh fichtre, où est ma veste? (Oh darn, where’s my jacket?)
15. Sacré bleu
Pronunciation: sah-kreh bluh
Meaning: Holy smokes (old-fashioned).
In a Sentence:
- Sacré bleu, cette nouvelle est incroyable! (Holy smokes, this news is incredible!)
- Sacré bleu, ce tableau est magnifique! (Holy smokes, this painting is magnificent!)
16. Merdouille
Pronunciation: mehr-dwee
Meaning: Little crap (milder version of “merde”).
In a Sentence:
- Merdouille, j’ai fait une erreur. (Darn, I made a mistake.)
- Oh merdouille, je suis encore en retard. (Oh darn, I’m late again!)
17. Nom d’une pipe
Pronunciation: nom d’ewn peep
Meaning: Good heavens (literally “name of a pipe”).
In a Sentence:
- Nom d’une pipe, regarde cette tempête! (Good heavens, look at that storm!)
- Nom d’une pipe, je ne l’avais pas vu venir. (Good heavens, I didn’t see that coming.)
18. Foutre
Pronunciation: foo-truh
Meaning: Damn or heck (strong, can be vulgar).
In a Sentence:
- Foutre, où sont mes affaires? (Damn, where are my things?)
- Il ne sait pas foutre quoi faire! (He doesn’t know what the heck to do!)
19. Bigre
Pronunciation: bee-gruh
Meaning: Gosh or goodness.
In a Sentence:
- Bigre, c’est vraiment cher ici. (Goodness, it’s really expensive here.)
- Oh bigre, je suis fatigué. (Oh gosh, I’m tired.)
20. Ça alors
Pronunciation: sah ah-lohr
Meaning: Well, I’ll be!
In a Sentence:
- Ça alors, je n’y crois pas! (Well, I’ll be! I don’t believe it!)
- Ça alors, quelle coïncidence! (Well, I’ll be! What a coincidence!)
21. Eh bien
Pronunciation: eh byehn
Meaning: Well then (used to express surprise or frustration).
In a Sentence:
- Eh bien, c’est pas possible! (Well then, that’s not possible!)
- Eh bien, qu’est-ce qui se passe ici? (Well then, what’s happening here?)
22. Maudit
Pronunciation: moh-dee
Meaning: Damned or cursed.
In a Sentence:
- Ce maudit téléphone ne fonctionne jamais! (This damn phone never works!)
- Maudit, j’ai raté le bus. (Damn, I missed the bus.)
23. Chouette alors
Pronunciation: shwet ah-lohr
Meaning: Well, darn (mild and slightly playful).
In a Sentence:
- Chouette alors, j’ai encore oublié mon parapluie. (Well, darn, I forgot my umbrella again.)
- Oh chouette alors, quelle journée! (Oh darn, what a day!)
24. Ça me soûle
Pronunciation: sah muh sool
Meaning: This annoys me or darn it (colloquial).
In a Sentence:
- Ça me soûle d’attendre si longtemps! (Darn it, waiting so long annoys me!)
- Franchement, ça me soûle de toujours répéter. (Honestly, it annoys me to always repeat myself.)
25. Nom de nom
Pronunciation: nom duh nom
Meaning: Dang it or good grief.
In a Sentence:
- Nom de nom, j’ai encore oublié mes lunettes! (Dang it, I forgot my glasses again!)
- Nom de nom, quel désordre ici! (Dang it, what a mess here!)
26. Misère
Pronunciation: mee-zehr
Meaning: Misery or darn it (used for frustration).
In a Sentence:
- Misère, cette voiture est encore en panne! (Darn it, this car is broken down again!)
- Misère, je n’ai plus d’argent. (Darn it, I’m out of money.)
27. Mille tonnerres
Pronunciation: meel toh-nehr
Meaning: A thousand thunders (used for strong surprise or frustration).
In a Sentence:
- Mille tonnerres, cette situation est incroyable! (A thousand thunders, this situation is incredible!)
- Mille tonnerres, pourquoi est-ce si difficile? (A thousand thunders, why is this so hard?)
Other Ways to Say “Damn” in French
Here’s a helpful table with alternative ways to say “damn” in French. These phrases include their pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences to make them easy to understand.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Oh purée | oh poo-ray | Darn or gosh | Oh purée, j’ai oublié mes devoirs! (Darn, I forgot my homework!) |
| Ça m’énerve | sah meh-nairv | That annoys me | Ça m’énerve quand les choses ne marchent pas. (It annoys me when things don’t work.) |
| Fi donc | fee donk | Darn (old-fashioned) | Fi donc, quel comportement! (Darn, what behavior!) |
| Quelle poisse | kel pwahss | What bad luck | Quelle poisse, j’ai encore perdu mes clés! (What bad luck, I lost my keys again!) |
| La barbe | lah bar-buh | Darn it (colloquial) | La barbe, cette réunion est trop longue! (Darn it, this meeting is too long!) |
| Sapristoche | sah-pree-stosh | Darn or gosh (playful) | Sapristoche, c’est incroyable! (Gosh, this is incredible!) |
| Oh zut alors | oh zoot ah-lohr | Oh darn | Oh zut alors, je suis coincé dans les embouteillages! (Oh darn, I’m stuck in traffic!) |
| Miséricorde | mee-zay-ree-kord | Mercy or darn (dramatic) | Miséricorde, c’est un désastre! (Mercy, it’s a disaster!) |
| Fiche-moi la paix | feesh mwah lah peh | Leave me alone (frustrated tone) | Fiche-moi la paix, je suis occupé! (Leave me alone, I’m busy!) |
| Ah ça | ah sah | Well, darn it | Ah ça, ce plan n’a pas marché! (Well, darn it, this plan didn’t work!) |
| Horreur | oh-ruhr | Horror or darn (emotional) | Horreur, j’ai fait une énorme erreur! (Darn, I made a huge mistake!) |
| Fichtre alors | fee-shtr ah-lohr | Well, darn | Fichtre alors, ça c’est une surprise! (Well, darn, that’s a surprise!) |
Responses to “Damn” in French
When someone uses an expression like “damn” in a conversation, knowing how to respond appropriately in French can help keep the dialogue natural and engaging. These responses range from sympathetic to humorous or practical, depending on the context.
1. Eh oui
Pronunciation: eh wee
Meaning: Yep or that’s how it is.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Zut, il pleut encore! (Darn, it’s raining again!)
Person 2: Eh oui, c’est la météo. (Yep, that’s the weather.)
2. C’est pas grave
Pronunciation: say pah grahv
Meaning: It’s not a big deal.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Mince, j’ai oublié mon sac. (Shoot, I forgot my bag.)
Person 2: C’est pas grave, on reviendra plus tard. (It’s not a big deal; we’ll come back later.)
3. Pas de chance
Pronunciation: pah duh shahnss
Meaning: Tough luck or what a pity.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Nom d’un chien, j’ai raté le bus! (Dang it, I missed the bus!)
Person 2: Pas de chance, il faudra attendre le prochain. (Tough luck, you’ll have to wait for the next one.)
4. Vraiment?
Pronunciation: vray-mahn
Meaning: Really?
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Oh là là, le prix a doublé! (Oh no, the price has doubled!)
Person 2: Vraiment? C’est fou! (Really? That’s crazy!)
5. Oh non!
Pronunciation: oh noh
Meaning: Oh no!
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Bon sang, j’ai cassé mon téléphone. (Darn, I broke my phone.)
Person 2: Oh non! Tu peux le réparer? (Oh no! Can you fix it?)
6. Tant pis
Pronunciation: tahn pee
Meaning: Too bad or never mind.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Flûte, le magasin est fermé. (Darn, the store is closed.)
Person 2: Tant pis, on reviendra demain. (Too bad, we’ll come back tomorrow.)
7. Courage!
Pronunciation: koo-rahzh
Meaning: Hang in there or stay strong.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Misère, j’ai tant de travail! (Darn it, I have so much work!)
Person 2: Courage, tu peux y arriver! (Hang in there, you can do it!)
8. Sérieux?
Pronunciation: sair-yuh
Meaning: Seriously?
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Mille tonnerres, j’ai perdu mon portefeuille. (A thousand thunders, I lost my wallet.)
Person 2: Sérieux? Comment est-ce arrivé? (Seriously? How did that happen?)
9. Je comprends
Pronunciation: zhuh kohm-prahn
Meaning: I understand.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Punaise, cette journée est nulle! (Darn, this day is awful!)
Person 2: Je comprends, ça arrive parfois. (I understand, it happens sometimes.)
10. Quel dommage
Pronunciation: kel doh-mahzh
Meaning: What a shame.
In a Sentence:
- Person 1: Bordel, ils ont annulé le concert! (Damn, they canceled the concert!)
Person 2: Quel dommage, j’espérais y aller aussi. (What a shame, I was hoping to go too.)
Exercise to Practice Saying “Damn” in French
Below are 12 fill-in-the-blank exercises designed to help you practice the various ways to say “damn” in French. After the blanks, you’ll find the answers and the meanings of each sentence. All examples are connected to relatable, real-life scenarios.
Fill-in-the-Blanks
- ________, j’ai laissé mon téléphone à la maison.
- ________, il n’y a plus de tickets pour le concert.
- Oh ________, j’ai encore oublié mes devoirs.
- ________, où est ma veste?
- ________, cette nouvelle est incroyable!
- ________, la voiture est tombée en panne!
- Oh ________, regarde cette météo!
- ________, ce film est tellement ennuyeux!
- ________, j’ai renversé mon café sur mes papiers.
- ________, ils ont augmenté les prix encore une fois!
- ________, mon équipe a perdu le match.
- ________, mon ordinateur ne fonctionne pas ce matin.
Answers and Meanings
- Zut, j’ai laissé mon téléphone à la maison. (Darn, I left my phone at home.)
- Mince, il n’y a plus de tickets pour le concert. (Shoot, there are no more tickets for the concert.)
- Oh flûte, j’ai encore oublié mes devoirs. (Oh darn, I forgot my homework again.)
- Bon sang, où est ma veste? (Good grief, where is my jacket?)
- Sapristi, cette nouvelle est incroyable! (Gosh, this news is incredible!)
- Misère, la voiture est tombée en panne! (Darn it, the car broke down!)
- Oh nom d’une pipe, regarde cette météo! (Oh good heavens, look at this weather!)
- Ça alors, ce film est tellement ennuyeux! (Well, darn it, this movie is so boring!)
- Crotte, j’ai renversé mon café sur mes papiers. (Darn, I spilled my coffee on my papers!)
- Mille tonnerres, ils ont augmenté les prix encore une fois! (A thousand thunders, they raised the prices again!)
- Nom de nom, mon équipe a perdu le match. (Dang it, my team lost the match.)
- Foutre, mon ordinateur ne fonctionne pas ce matin. (Damn, my computer isn’t working this morning.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “damn” in French gives you an exciting way to express emotions in everyday conversations. Whether you’re feeling frustrated, surprised, or simply emphasizing a point, there’s a French phrase for the situation. From the mild “zut” to the more intense “bordel,” these expressions add character and authenticity to your language skills.
As you practice using these words, remember the tone and context to ensure they fit the situation. Familiarize yourself with the responses and alternative phrases to navigate conversations naturally. With regular use, these phrases will become a seamless part of your French vocabulary. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll feel comfortable expressing yourself like a native speaker!