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How to Say ‘Are you kidding me?’ in French

Tu te fous de moi ?

too tuh foo duh mwah

[too tuh foo duh mwah]

💬 Usage Tip: Se foutre de someone means to mock or con them: Il se fout de nous "He's taking us for fools". Swap in fiches for a politer version.

Phrase Breakdown

Tu te fous

too tuh foo

You're messing

'Se foutre de' means to make fun of someone, and it's slightly vulgar. In fast speech 'tu te' becomes 'tut': 'tut FOO'. The 's' is silent.

Example

Tu te fous de ma gueule ?

Are you taking the piss?

Words in this phrase

Tu

[too]

you (informal singular)

Informal subject pronoun “you”. Used with friends; common when discussing tastes in anime.

Example

Tu aimes les shōnen ?

Do you like shōnen?

te

[tuh]

yourself

te is a reflexive pronoun meaning yourself with tu.

Example

Tu dois te calmer un peu.

You need to calm yourself a little.

fous

[foo]

are making fun (vulgar)

Form of 'foutre'; 'se foutre de quelqu'un' means to mock or take someone for a fool.

Example

Ils se fous de nous, ou quoi ?

Are they messing with us, or what?

de moi ?

duh mwah

with me / of me

This completes 'Are you kidding me?' or 'Are you messing with me?'. Raise your voice at the end for the question: 'duh MWA?'.

Example

Il se moque de moi.

He's making fun of me.

Words in this phrase

de

[duh]

of / from

Common preposition meaning of, from, or about depending on context.

Example

Je parle de mon travail.

I am talking about my work.

moi

[mwah]

me

The person speaking or writing.

Example

Ils ont dîné chez moi.

They had dinner at my place.

Guides for French learners

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