How do you say "What the hell?" in French?

"What the hell?" in French is "C'est quoi ce bordel ?". This phrase is commonly used in France.

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How to Say ‘What the hell?’ in French

Q: What does "C'est quoi ce bordel ?" mean in English?

"C'est quoi ce bordel ?" means "What the hell?" in English. Usage tip: [Ce] becomes [c'] before a vowel, so [c'est] is a fixed chunk you will see constantly. [Ce bordel] here means a mess or chaos, not literally a brothel.

C'est quoi ce bordel ?

say ay kwah suh bor-del

[say ay kwah suh bor-del]

💬 Usage Tip: [Ce] becomes [c'] before a vowel, so [c'est] is a fixed chunk you will see constantly. [Ce bordel] here means a mess or chaos, not literally a brothel.

🇫🇷 In France: Strong but very natural for reacting to confusion, noise, or a chaotic situation. It sounds rougher than plain [Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça ?].

Phrase Breakdown

[say]

it is / this is

Shortened form of ce, part of c'est, meaning it is or this is.

Example

C'est quoi ce bordel dans la cuisine ?

What the hell is this mess in the kitchen?

est

[ay]

Verb être in c'est, meaning is.

Example

C'est quoi ce bordel ici ?

What the hell is this mess here?

quoi

[kwah]

what

Question word meaning what.

Example

C'est quoi ce bordel sur la table ?

What the hell is this mess on the table?

[suh]

this

Demonstrative word meaning this in this expression.

Example

C'est quoi ce bordel partout ?

What the hell is this mess everywhere?

bordel

[bor-del]

mess / chaos / hell

Literally brothel, but commonly used to mean a mess, chaos, or a screwed-up situation.

Example

C'est quoi ce bordel dans ton sac ?

What the hell is this mess in your bag?

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