Language/French/Vocabulary/Express-Surprise

Bonjour à toutes et à tous,

In this lesson, you will learn how French like to express their feelings of suprise. 😲😳😲 !!!

When something unusual happens, French have their own casual and fun expressions.

Good learning! 😊

Most common expressions

Oh la la ! / Oh là là ! / Oh !

• Meaning: Oh my God! / Oh dear! / Wow!

It is an interjection which expresses surprise / amazement.

Examples of use:

• Oh la la ! il est déjà 20h30, je vais rater mon train !

Oh dear ! It's already 8:30 pm, I'll miss my train!

• Oh la la ! mais qu'est-ce qui t'es arrivé ?

Oh dear ! But what happened to you?

• Oh la la ! qu'est-ce qu'il fait chaud ici !

Oh dear ! It's so hot here!

Ça alors !

• Meaning: My goodness!, good grief!

This exclamation can express a whole range of reactions, from delight to surprise or indignation. 

• Examples:

Ça alors ! Je n'aurais jamais imaginé cela !

My goodness! I'd never have imagined that.

Whaou !

• Meaning: Wow!
• Example: Whaou ! Tu as vu ce qu'il est capable de faire ?

Wow, have you seen what he can do?

C'est pas possible ! / C'est pas vrai ! / C'est pas croyable !

• Meaning: I can't believe it! / No way!

The standard (full) form reads: "CE N'est pas possible/vrai" but in oral discourse the "N'/NE" negation particle is often omitted.

Je n'y crois pas ! / J'y crois pas

• Meaning: I can't believe it!

Note : "J'y crois pas" is more informal than "Je n'y crois pas".

• Example: Je n'y crois pas, elle a osé!

I can't believe this, she dared to do that!

C'est magnifique !

• Meaning: Awesome!
• Example: Je rentre de l'exposition: C'est vraiment magnifique !

I come back from the exhibition: It's really beautiful/awesome!

Génial !

• Meaning: Great!

This adjective which means super, great, something which is deemed brilliant and/or fantastic.

Impressionnant !

• Meaning: That's stunning/impressive!

• Example: Wahou ! C'est impressionnant, très beau travail !

Incroyable !

• Meaning: Incredible/I can't believe it!
• Example: Incroyable, il l'a fait !

How incredible/I can't believe it, he did it!

Mon Dieu !

• Meaning: Oh my God!

It's similar to the English locution "OH MY GOD" or "oh my gosh".

• Example: Mon dieu, ce n'est pas possible !

Oh my God, it's not possible!

Quel malheur !

• Meaning: What a disgrace!
• Example: Tu as vu l'article dans le journal? Quel malheur !

Did you see the article in the newspaper? What a disgrace!

Comme c’est beau !

• Meaning: How beautiful! / it's beautiful
• Example: Tu as vu ce qu'ils ont fait? Comme c'est beau !

Did you see what they did? It's beautiful!

Quel travail !

• Meaning: What work!
• Example: Quel travail ! Il a nettoyé toute la maison

What work! He has cleaned the whole house

Quelle chance !

• Meaning: What luck!

• Example: Quelle chance ! tu as décroché le poste.

How lucky you are! You got the job.

Quoi ?

• Meaning: What? / Say what?
• Example: Quoi ? Il a fait ça?

What? He did that?

N'importe quoi !

• Meaning: "Nonsense!" (US) / "BS" / "Rubbish!" (UK)

• Example: Il a osé faire ça ? N'importe quoi !

He dared to do that? Nonsense!

Je n’en crois pas mes yeux ! / J'en crois pas mes yeux !

• Meaning: I can’t believe my eyes!

Trop bien !

• Meaning: Awesome!

Oh la vache !

• Meaning: holy cow, Wow, Good heavens!

Use "oh la vache!", or simply "la vache!", to express surprise or admiration.

Mince alors ! / zut alors !

• Meaning: Ah, heck!

Surprise with a certain degree of disappointment.

Je reste sans voix / Je reste bouche bée

• Litteraly: I remain speechless

ça m'étonne / ça me surprend

• Litteraly: that amazes me

Ah bon ? / Vraiment ? / Tiens ?

• Meaning: really?

Non!

• often followed by: "C'est pas possible !"

C'est un truc de fou ! / C'est un truc de ouf !

• Meaning: it's crasy!

Je n'en reviens pas / J'en reviens pas

• Meaning: I can't believe it !

Slang Expressions (warning: offensive language!)

Putain !

• Meaning: fuck!

Among young French people, "putain" is a common interjection which is rarely expressed to harm someone. Its nearest equivalent in English is probably “Fuck!” / "For fuck's sake".

It is usually used as an interjection or an adjective to express anger, but it can also be used to convey surprise (positively or negatively) :

• Example: Wahou ! c'est un putain d’artiste !

He is some fucking artist!

• Example: Putain ! arrête tes conneries !

Cut the crap/bullshit, for fuck's sake!

Merde !

• Meaning: shit!

It has the same meaning as "Putain !".

A combination of the two words are often used as in "Putain, merde !" or "Putain de merde".

• Example: Putain, merde ! C'est pas possible.

Fuck! I can't believe it!

Videos

Watch these videos to review some of the expressions listed in the lesson: