💩👎

How to Say ‘That's crap.’ in French

C'est de la merde.

say eh duh lah maird

[say eh duh lah maird]

💬 Usage Tip: De la is needed before stuff you can't count, like "some" in English. The same frame works for other judgments: C'est de la folie "It's madness".

Phrase Breakdown

C'est de

say eh duh

It's (of)

"C'est" sounds like "say" and links smoothly into "de" (a soft "duh"). In casual speech it's often squeezed to "c'est d'".

Example

C'est de l'eau.

It's water.

Words in this phrase

[say]

it / that

Short form of ce before a vowel in c'est.

Example

Je réponds : « C'est gentil ».

I reply: “That's kind.”

est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

[duh]

Expressing the relationship between part and a whole.

Example

Un verre de lait.

A glass of milk.

la merde.

lah maird

crap / shit

Vulgar word for something worthless. "Merde" rhymes roughly with "air-d": the R is in the throat, and the final E is silent.

Example

Ce film, c'est de la merde.

This movie is crap.

Words in this phrase

[lah]

the (feminine singular)

Definite article used before a feminine singular noun.

Example

La réservation est déjà confirmée pour samedi soir.

The reservation is already confirmed for Saturday evening.

merde

[maird]

Shit

Commonly used to express frustration or anger.

Example

Oh merde, j'ai oublié mes clés.

Oh shit, I forgot my keys.

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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