n'importe quoi
nonsense / whatever / that's ridiculous
Pronunciation
/nɛ̃.pɔʁt kwa/
Cultural Note
Literally 'no matter what' but used to mean 'absolute nonsense/rubbish.' This is the French person's favorite dismissal — deployed when someone says something stupid, when politics makes no sense, or when a restaurant puts ketchup on a steak. Said with the right amount of disdain, it can end an argument instantly. It can also mean 'anything/whatever' in a neutral sense ('je mange n'importe quoi' = I'll eat anything), but let's be real, 90% of the time it's pure French judgment.
📝 Example Sentences
Tu dis n'importe quoi, c'est pas du tout comme ça.
You're talking nonsense, it's not like that at all.
Ce film, c'est n'importe quoi — l'histoire n'a aucun sens.
This movie is ridiculous — the story makes no sense.