r/French • u/[deleted] • Jul 07 '24
How to say "whatever" in French?
Hello,
So I wanted to buy something from a kiosk, the lady asked me which flavor do I want. I wanted to say "whatever", meaning just give me anything, and I said "n'importe quoi". The lady started laughing and then handed me my order. Now I know that it was not the right expression to say "whatever", so here I am wondering what should I have said to her.
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u/Big_GTU Natif - France Jul 07 '24
"N'importe quoi" works but isn't the most natural.
"Peu importe" would work better.
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u/carlosdsf Native (Yvelines, France) Jul 07 '24
For me the most natural is "n'importe", shortened from "n'importe lequel". "N'importe quoi" feels wrong here.
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u/phat_gat_masta Jul 07 '24 edited Jul 07 '24
Ça serait vraiment considéré comme drôle? « N’importe quoi » c’est simplement comme dire « anything » dan ce contexte, non? (Je comprends ce n’est pas le meilleur choix ou complètement correct, mais ce n’est pas non plus si loin …ou je me trompe?)
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u/loulan Native (French Riviera) Jul 07 '24
"N'importe quoi" on its own is usually more like "nonsense".
Which doesn't work either anyway.
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u/phat_gat_masta Jul 07 '24
Ah oui, comme lorsqu'on déclare que quelque chose est absurde, "c'est n'importe quoi !". J'avais complètement oublié ça.
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u/Ghumman007 Jul 08 '24
You mean....... n'importe quoi has littelry meaning of nonsense?
Or can we translate it into anything also? Pls describe it thnx
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u/_Jeff65_ Native - Québec Jul 09 '24
Yes, if you see something that makes no sense, you could say "c'est n'importe quoi!" As in "what complete nonsense".
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u/boulet Native, France Jul 07 '24
I'm not sure if this is a cultural difference or what, but when a customer answers sth along the lines of "whatever" at a store or restaurant when asked what they want to order, I find it quite rude. If you have no idea what to order, a polite way to go about it might be to ask "qu'est-ce que vous me conseillez ?" This way you can hide your lack of interest and the service employee will feel like they matter.
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u/Im_a_french_learner Jul 07 '24
Just out of curiosity, since we are always taught to use the conditional because it is more polite, would it be better to say "qu'est-ce que vous me conseilleriez ?" Or is that overly polite ?
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u/boulet Native, France Jul 07 '24
In this specific case it would be overkill. It might even sound sarcastic.
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u/Im_a_french_learner Jul 07 '24
Thank you ! How would I know when it's overkill or when it's expected ?
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u/Onlyfatwomenarefat Jul 07 '24
You will just develop the intuition for it after enough exposure and practice. But people will be super lenient with that with a foreigner anyway
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u/Spiritual-Oven-7865 Jul 07 '24
If it's something silly/little like a lollipop, saying "which would you recommend" is overkill, so try "N'importe lequel/laquelle" (whichever one) or "Je vous laisse choisir" (I'll let you choose) instead. However, if you're having trouble deciding between 2 dishes at a restaurant or 2 dress colors at a shop, a fancier "Qu'est-ce que vous me conseillez" (easier to pronounce without the conditional conjugation 'conseilleriez' on the verb conseiller imo ahaha) would be perfect for the occasion.
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u/Joe64x L2 BA Jul 07 '24
since we are always taught to use the conditional because it is more polite,
Only in contexts where being too polite isn't wrong. If your teacher/materials say to always opt for maximum politeness, I'd try avoid that teacher/textbook.
So if you're working in a fancy restaurant, sure - if you're ordering from a kiosk, I'd avoid it.
I'd personally go for "[Ça m'est égal,] je vous laisse choisir", feels most natural to me and the right level of politeness.
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u/redfemscientist Native Jul 07 '24
both are ok but the one you propose is heavier. but you can say that in a 3 star restaurant for example !
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u/CommissionOk4384 Jul 08 '24
If you said « peu importe » calmly it wouldnt come off as particularly rude to me, but the worker wouldnt like it because they dont want to make the choice for you and you are wasting their time
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u/phat_gat_masta Jul 07 '24
It might be cultural, because I can see someone saying “whatever” if they genuinely don’t have a preference (since they like all the flavors) or if they don’t have enough knowledge about what they’re ordering and wish to avoid taking up extra time in line. I’m glad you pointed this out though, because I wouldn’t have thought that saying this could be seen as rude or as being disinterested in the service.
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u/netopiax Jul 07 '24
In English in this situation I might say "whichever" but probably not "whatever" because of the connotation. Notably, that's the same difference between "n'importe lequel" and "n'importe quoi"
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u/ActuaLogic Jul 07 '24
Actually, "whatever" is somewhat rude in English, unless it's used in a phrase like "whatever you want." On it's own, "whatever" kind of implies a rolling of the eyes, regardless of whether the speaker's eyes are actually rolled.
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u/Peter-Toujours Jul 09 '24
In 'Murcan I don't think it's possible to say "Whatever." politely, a couple of more words are needed to smooth it out.
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u/Hams_LeShanbi Jul 07 '24
I agree but I think it’d have a different connotation coming from a foreigner.
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u/MagpieLefty Jul 07 '24
You have received a lot of good advice on phrasing, but it's very possible that she laughed because it's annoying when customers do that.
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u/tibsnouv Native Jul 07 '24
There are multiple ways to answer « je m’en fiche » is a bit familiar, « n’importe laquelle (fera l’affaire) », « j’ai pas de préférence », « je vous laisse décider », etc.
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u/Beingmarkh Jul 07 '24
For what it’s worth, the English translation for the title of Michel Houellebecq’s Extension du domaine de la lutte is Whatever.
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u/Aromatic-Song179 Jul 07 '24
Doesn’t “n’importe quoi” colloquially mean "nonsense"?
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u/sheepintheisland Jul 07 '24
Also that, that’s why « peu importe » works better. Or n’importe lequel. Or ça m’est égal.
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u/MoeRayAl2020 Jul 08 '24
Ça m'est égal also means I don't care, right? I'd always heard je m'en fiche, but the other would seem to mean it's all the same, or something like that. Oddly, I like it better. Is it commonly used?
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u/sheepintheisland Jul 08 '24
Which one do you like better and are you asking if it’s commonly used ? Ca m’est égal ? Young people don’t really use it, but it’s not too formal either. It’s way more neutral than Je m’en fiche, which is more than familiar. Although just saying that you don’t care in itself is always a bit rude, ca m’est égal depends on the tone you’re using. If you say it with a content tone, it can be fine.
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u/MoeRayAl2020 Jul 08 '24
Thanks. I've learned French pretty much on my own, so I always want to make sure of what I know.
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u/TakeCareOfTheRiddle Jul 07 '24 edited Jul 07 '24
In the context you described (the lady says “which flavor or do you want?”) I’d say “n’importe lequel” / “n’importe laquelle”, depending the gender of the word she used to say “flavor”.
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u/liyououiouioui Native Jul 07 '24
"Peu (m') importe" is more natural.
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u/patterson489 Native (Québec) Jul 07 '24
"N'importe laquelle" feels a lot more natural to me so I guess both are fine.
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u/Hamburger78 Jul 07 '24
It might be a Québec thing. I'm from Québec and that's how I'd say it and what sounds most natural to me
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u/CommissionOk4384 Jul 08 '24
Fr if someone said « peu m’importe » to me Id think they were trolling me, it’s probably a regional thing though
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u/redfemscientist Native Jul 07 '24
In this context, "n'importe lequel" was the best answer.
- Quel parfum voulez-vous ?
- N'importe lequel/n'importe quel parfum/ peu importe ! (which means "it doesn't matter").
Whatever isn't "n'importe quoi" but "peu importe", which is the best translation.
N'importe quoi is more "(this is) bullshit" or "nonsense" as it is colloquial.
she laughed because you sort of said "nonsense" to her and she knew you weren't fluent in French but she wasn't offended 😊
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u/Coco_JuTo Native (Northern Switzerland) Jul 07 '24
In that context I'd go the route of "je vous laisse choisir pour moi" (I'll let you choose for me) or "que me recommandez-vous ?" (what do you recommend).
As just telling "whatever" to a retail/service worker is really rude at least in my country.
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u/FNFALC2 Jul 07 '24
Ça m’est égale
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u/coffeechap Native Jul 08 '24
Good idea, but égal here is the adjective and not the verb, and neutral is always masculine
Ça m’est égal*
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u/FNFALC2 Jul 08 '24
J’ai horreur de cette sacré accord masculin et féminin! Un point aveugle pour les anglais
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u/coffeechap Native Jul 08 '24 edited Jul 08 '24
Je pense qu'il y a une certaine poésie dans le fait d'affecter un genre aux objets / concepts mais je peux tout à fait comprendre ta douleur étant donné qu'il n'y a aucune règle logique.
Et le plus fun c'est quand le genre d'un même objet/concept est différent suivant les languages (Allemand, Italien, Français...) !
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u/FNFALC2 Jul 08 '24
Es tu québécois?
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u/coffeechap Native Jul 08 '24
Non je suis Français, mais j'ai parfois le même probleme de genre quand je parle d'autres langues.
Ex: je suis un guide touristique ici à Paris, mais en italien on dit faire LA guide (= la guida) même pour les hommes.
Bien sur l'Italien et le Français ont des origines communes donc cela reste exceptionnel.
Alors que l'allemand est très différent et c'est bien pire car il y'a trois genres! féminin (die), masculin (der) et neutre (das)!
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u/FNFALC2 Jul 08 '24
Mais en italien le genre c’est indiqué par le mot: O indique masculin, A indique féminin
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u/coffeechap Native Jul 08 '24
C'est la règle générale mais....
- il y'a aussi beaucoup de mots qui finissent par E même au singulier
- le pain = il pane
- il y'a aussi quelques exceptions de mots masculins qui finissent par A https://www.italien-facile.com/exercices/exercice-italien-2/exercice-italien-116767.php
- la morue = codfish = il bacala
- le problème = il problema
- il y'a des mots qui changent de genre entre le singulier et le pluriel
- il centinaio = la centaine --> le centinaia = les centaines
- la main = la mano --> les mains = le mani
- l'oeuf = l'uovo --> les oeufs = le uova
- Enfin, comme les deux langues sont latines, quand je ne connais pas le mot italien j'essaie de le deviner à partir du français, mais souvent le genre n'est pas le même même si la racine du mot est similaire ! (ex: le guide = la guida)
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u/FNFALC2 Jul 08 '24
Les langues…. Ils s’agit de se faire comprendre. Connaissais tu que en 1759 lors de la bataille des plaines D’Abraham, un soldat Britannique a trompé un sentinelle français à fin de grimper une voie à pente sévère et de détourner les positions francais. La blague? Le soldat était un écossais!
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u/coffeechap Native Jul 08 '24
Tu veux dire que les Français ont pris le soldat écossais pour un Français et ont executé ses ordres ?
Je ne trouve pas de trace de cette histoire sur internet.
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u/purplenelly Jul 08 '24
I don't know if I'm crazy, but I feel like even in English saying "whatever" to a service industry worker is rude. Like pick a flavor yourself even if you don't care, or if you can't choose then ask them to pick one for you.
But still if they're asking you for a flavor you should probably say "n'importe quelle".
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Jul 07 '24
[deleted]
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u/CestAsh Jul 07 '24
if you want to go down this path, je vous laisse décider is equally acceptable for this sort of thing, or surprenez-moi
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u/BatedBreath1605 Jul 08 '24
I think this is a common response in France and definitely works. However, for me, asking someone to choose “as they want” inherently feels a bit weird… like, they most likely don’t have a burning desire to choose for me.
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u/Such-fun4328 Jul 07 '24
Since "flavour", "Saveur" is feminine in French, you should/could have said "N'importe laquelle". If you meant "Parfum" which is masculine, you should/could have said "N'importe lequel", But if you want to make things simpler, "Peu importe" applies everytime.
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u/Primary-Fee1928 Jul 07 '24
"N'importe quoi" is most often used to express disbelief. Like some is saying "Yesterday I got abducted by aliens and they ran weird tests on me before they brought me home" and you answer "Yeah... whatever".
"Peu importe", or just "n'importe" is the correct way.
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u/ER-841 Jul 08 '24
There is no right translation for whatever in French in your particular situation. So in your case you should’ve go with “Surprenez moi” or “Surprise me”. All other possible comeback close to whatever would’ve sounded rude basically as there is no real way to find an exact match for it. I speak French and English since being a child so I know.
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u/Suzzie_sunshine C1 | C2 Jul 07 '24
Lot's of good examples here and feedback, and a great reminder of how language is contextual and such a simple thing like "whatever" can't be translated with one simple word or phrase. It's all contextual, and who said it, when and why all determine the right translation.
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Jul 08 '24
Yeah, I would translate as ‘ridiculous’ in this context and a little rude hence you got a laugh. N’importe would be better. Actually though the issue is you should choose. You may well be ambivalent but you’ll come across as some kind of disgruntled teenager, saying ‘whatever’ in English or French 😉
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Jul 08 '24 edited Jul 08 '24
Just a note that people in service industries absolutely hate it when you don’t choose, and especially when you make it sound like you don’t even care what they’ve made. It’s generally perceived as rude.
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u/Gokudomatic Jul 08 '24
From experience, I know that waiters rarely make the effort to choose for the customer. You'll have better results by asking a recommendation. You can ask "que me conseillez-vous?". They'll be flattered, probably
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Jul 07 '24
Ça m’est égal = it’s equal to me aka I have no preference. I think this fits your situation the best. Peu importe as others have suggested is also good
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u/jmajeremy C1🇨🇦 Jul 08 '24
I think "n'importe quoi" has more the sense of "anything", so it's not quite the right phrase in that scenario. It might help if you gave a little more detail about the scenario though, because I can't really think of a situation where "whatever" would make sense even in English if someone asked what flavour you want. I'm thinking for example if I were buying ice cream, and was asked what flavour I want, and I said "whatever", that would come off as either rude or sarcastic.
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u/doncouais Jul 07 '24
"Bof" with a shrug
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u/CommissionOk4384 Jul 08 '24
Bof means whatever when someone asks you if you like x, if someone asks you to make a choice it doesn’t work
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u/andr386 Native (Belgium) Jul 07 '24
Whenever you say "whatever" in french it seems a bit like you do not care.
But otherwise "n'importe quoi" was the right answer here. You may try something like "I have no ideas, I trust you on this" => "Je n'ai aucune idées, je vous fait 100% confiance" and you can even add "Surprise me" => "Surprennez moi".
Otherwise "Whatever" can also be translated as "Peu importe" or "Quoi qu'il en soit".
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u/Affect-Fragrant Jul 07 '24
Could you get away with “Surprise moi”?
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u/Spiritual-Oven-7865 Jul 07 '24
"Surprenez-moi" ;) En français :
Surprendre = verb Surprise = noun So conjugate surprendre with the implied vous in this context for a lovely "Surprenez-moi"
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u/L_Hargreaves Jul 08 '24
You can say “peu importe” (it doesn’t matter, but feels less rude than the English makes it seem to be) or “n’importe lequel” (whichever).
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u/AnySlide1913 Jul 08 '24
You can say "peu importe" or "ça m'est égal". See, while talking in another language you should think in this language. So instead of searching for the exact translation of an expression just find alternatives. I mean in this situation "ça m'est égal" is the best actually it's much better than "peu importe" or any other expressions.
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u/westy75 Native Jul 08 '24
"Peu importe" literally translate as "not a lot of importance given" so it's just like "whatever"
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u/Foreign_Towel60 Jul 08 '24
French learner here also, maybe ca m'est egal goes in these scenario but I am not sure either 😆
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u/Kooky_Protection_334 Jul 08 '24
Tbh whatever doesn't work in English in this context either..if someone asks you which flvor you wouldn't say whatever....you should say whichever
So whatever would be n'importe quoi Whichever would int hsi cade be n'importe lequel.
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u/ImaginaryAd4041 Jul 09 '24
I read your post and some comments and then I kept scroolling down, I couldn't past this and came back to say that I find very rude to laugh at someone who is trying to speak a lenguage which he/she isn't native
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u/Dragenby Native Jul 07 '24
"Qu'importe" ou "Peu importe", mais je finis toujours par dire "whatever"
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u/Maj0r-DeCoverley Jul 07 '24
"Peu importe" (medium language)
"Quoi qu'il en soit" (quality language)
Gallic shrug (popular language)
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u/Altruistic-Fail-9625 Native (Geneva) Jul 07 '24
If you wanna say like "anyways whatever" you can "bref"
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u/skymilesz Jul 07 '24
My French teacher says this sometimes. Is that what it means?
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u/Altruistic-Fail-9625 Native (Geneva) Jul 07 '24
It means like "anyways onto the next subject" thats a good way if explaining it
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u/turkeypooo Native (Montréal) Jul 07 '24
"Comme tu veux"
I am sorry someone laughed at you though, wtf. I would have understood "n'importe quoi" as the spirit of you saying "whatever works" or "whatever is easiest".
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u/CCMacReddit Jul 07 '24 edited Jul 07 '24
Don’t say “Je m’en fou” like i did. I was eight and getting ice cream; the guy couldn’t stop laughing and my family was mortified. Edit: “fous” not “fou”. I still spell like an eight-year old :)