merde
/mɛʁd/
The English phrase 'bugger' can be translated into French using merde.
merde is used to describe a foolish or worthless person, or a rascal.
Meaning: foolish or worthless person, rascal (noun)
Which one should you use?
you might use mince if you wish to express mild frustration, similar to the English 'Darn'.
How do you pronounce it?
/mɛʁd/
Did you know?
- In French, the word merde can be used as a positive, though highly informal, way to wish someone 'good luck' before a performance. It is a common superstition among actors, similar to the English 'break a leg'.
- The word mince is an example of a 'euphémisme', where a speaker intentionally starts the word merde but switches to a harmless word to avoid swearing.
- In French, you can turn the word into a verb, merder, which can mean to 'mess up' or to perform poorly during a task.
Examples in context
- Merde !Bugger!This sentence shows how to use merde as an exclamation.Tatoeba #482241 by sacredceltic, translation #10638221 by AutoBot
- Flûte ! J'ai raté mon train.Drat! I missed my train.
- Oh merde! J'ai égaré mes clés.Oh bugger! I misplaced my keys.
Example conversation
Manon is complaining about a colleague who made a mistake.
- ManonHugo, regarde ce qu'il a fait.Hugo, look at what he did.
- HugoC'est incroyable, quel merde.It's unbelievable, what a bugger.
- ManonIl ne comprend rien au travail.He understands nothing about the work.
- HugoJe suis d'accord avec toi.I agree with you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry merde, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
