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How to Say ‘I don't give a fuck.’ in French

J'en ai rien à foutre.

zhem AHN ay ree-ehn ah foot-r

[zhem AHN ay ree-ehn ah foot-r]

💬 Usage Tip: Careful French would say Je n'en ai rien à foutre. In speech the ne almost always disappears.

Phrase Breakdown

J'en ai rien

zhem AHN ay ree-ehn

I have nothing (about it)

"J'en ai" sounds like "zhahn-nay", with the N linking into "ai". "Rien" is "ryehn", nasal, with no N sound. Casual speech drops the "ne".

Example

J'en ai rien à dire.

I have nothing to say about it.

Words in this phrase

J'

[zhem]

I (contracted form of « je »)

« Je » becomes « J’ » before a vowel: « J’aime » = “I like/I love”. Very frequent for opinions about anime.

Example

J' aime ce studio d’animation.

I like this animation studio.

en

[AHN]

of it

Pronoun used in the fixed polite phrase meaning you're welcome.

Example

Merci ! — Je vous en prie.

Thank you! — You're welcome.

ai

[ay]

have (1st person singular)

« ai » is « avoir » conjugated for « je ». It’s the auxiliary used in the passé composé: « j’ai commencé » = “I started / I have started”.

Example

J’ ai regardé la bande-annonce.

I watched the trailer.

rien

[ree-ehn]

nothing / anything (with negation)

With ne… rien, it means “nothing/anything” in a negative sentence: “Don’t tell me anything.”

Example

Ne me raconte rien : je vais le regarder ce soir.

Don’t tell me anything: I’m going to watch it tonight.

à foutre.

ah foot-r

to fucking do / to care about

"Foutre" is vulgar slang. Say it as "foo-tr", with a light throaty R and no real final vowel. The whole phrase means "I couldn't give a fuck."

Example

Ses problèmes, j'en ai rien à foutre.

I couldn't give a fuck about his problems.

Words in this phrase

à

[ah]

to

Used with infinitive verbs to indicate purpose.

Example

Elle commence à chanter.

She begins to sing.

foutre

[foot-r]

fuck

Part of a vulgar imperative expression telling someone to go away offensively.

Example

Va te faire foutre, je n'ai plus de temps.

Go fuck yourself, I have no more time.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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