🤲🎁🤷

How to Say ‘Here, this is for you, it's nothing really.’ in French

Tenez, c'est pour vous, trois fois rien.

tuh-NAY suh eh poor voo trwah fwah ree-en

[tuh-NAY suh eh poor voo trwah fwah ree-en]

🇫🇷 In France: Playing down your gift is the polite French reflex. Announcing how special or pricey it is would come across as showing off.

Phrase Breakdown

Tenez,

tuh-NAY

Here you go,

Polite imperative of 'tenir', used when handing something over. Say 'te-né'; the 'z' is silent.

Example

Tenez, votre monnaie.

Here's your change.

Words in this phrase

Tenez

[tuh-NAY]

here you are

Imperative of 'tenir', used when handing something over.

Example

Tenez, votre café.

Here you are, your coffee.

c'est pour vous,

suh eh poor voo

it's for you,

Used when offering a gift. The 's' of 'c'est' is not linked here.

Example

Ce café, c'est pour vous.

This coffee is for you.

Words in this phrase

[suh]

Used to refer to a thing previously mentioned.

Example

C'est incroyable.

It is incredible.

est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

pour

[poor]

for

Indicating purpose or reason.

Example

C'est pour toi.

It's for you.

vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

trois fois rien.

trwah fwah ree-en

it's nothing much.

Literally 'three times nothing'. A modest way to downplay a gift. End with the nasal 'rien' ('ryin').

Example

Ça m'a coûté trois fois rien.

It cost me next to nothing.

Words in this phrase

trois

[trwah]

three

The number three, often used in time expressions.

Example

Trois ans dans la même entreprise m'ont beaucoup appris.

Three years in the same company taught me a lot.

fois

[fwah]

times

Used to count how many times an action happened.

Example

Je l’ai redémarré deux fois.

I restarted it twice.

rien

[ree-en]

nothing

Not anything; no single thing.

Example

Il n'y a rien ici.

There is nothing here.

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.

Get the Full Learning Experience

This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Pronunciation Feedback

AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud

Spaced Repetition

Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice

Immersive Roleplaying

Practice real conversations with AI partners

Lessons for Your Situation

Request lessons tailored to your specific needs

Get Full Lesson

What Learners Are Saying

“Moved to Lyon for a culinary apprenticeship. The food and restaurant lessons were exactly what I needed — my French colleagues were genuinely impressed.”

Tom H., 38, Chef

“Studying in Paris and the academic French I learned in school was useless for daily life. This app filled the gap in weeks, not months.”

Nina W., 29, Graduate Student

“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”

Alex M., 42, Software Engineer