mince
/mɛ̃s/
The English phrase "dang it!" can be translated into French as mince.
mince is an exclamation used to express mild annoyance or frustration.
Which one should you use?
The more expressive and colloquial expression Mince alors! can be used to say "Darn it!", "Oh no!" or "Damn it!"
How do you pronounce it?
/mɛ̃s/
Did you know?
- While mince is safe for all audiences, using merde in a theater is actually considered good luck by French actors.
- The word mince is what linguists call a 'minced oath'. It was created specifically to replace the more vulgar word merde so that people could express frustration without being offensive.
- While mince literally means 'thin' or 'slender' when used as an adjective, it loses that physical meaning entirely when used as an exclamation.
Examples in context
- Mince alors! J'ai encore cassé mon téléphone!Darn it! I broke my phone again!
- Mince, j'ai oublié mes clés.Dang it, I forgot my keys.
- Mince, le train est déjà parti.Dang it, the train has already left.
- Oh mince, c'est vraiment dommage.Oh dang it, that is a real shame.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are in the kitchen looking for a spoon.
- GabrielMince, je ne trouve plus la cuillère.Dang it, I can't find the spoon anymore.
- LéaRegarde dans le tiroir, Gabriel.Look in the drawer, Gabriel.
- GabrielElle n'est pas là, mince !It's not there, dang it!
- LéaAttends, je la vois sous la table.Wait, I see it under the table.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mince, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mince, CC BY-SA 4.0.
