devine quoi
/də.vin kwa/
The English phrase "guess what" is expressed in French as devine quoi. Wiktionary also lists je te le donne en mille.
Meaning: used to dramatize the unsurprising (phrase)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| devine quoi | /də.vin kwa/ |
| je te le donne en mille |
devine quoi is used to build suspense or signal that the speaker is about to share news, often news that is already somewhat expected or trivial.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative verb devine (guess) and the interrogative pronoun quoi (what).
Which one should you use?
While devine quoi is a common way to express this, you may also use je te le donne en mille or the informal tu sais quoi, which translates to "do you know what".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase can be conjugated to the second-person plural or formal vous form as devinez quoi.
Did you know?
- In very informal French, quoi is often added to the end of sentences as a filler word, similar to 'you know' or 'and all that' in English, even when not asking someone to guess.
- The word mille in the phrase je te le donne en mille shares its roots with the English word 'mile', despite the fact that they both originally referred to the number one thousand.
- The informal version tu sais quoi is frequently used by French speakers to transition into a new topic, acting more like a verbal 'signpost' than a literal question about knowledge.
Examples in context
- Devine quoi ? J'ai été accepté à l'université !Guess what? I've been accepted into university!This sentence shows how to use devine quoi to announce news.Tatoeba #3141628 by Aiji, translation #2951203 by sundown
- Il s'est passé quelque chose d'incroyable ! Devine quoi !Something unbelievable has happened! Guess what!This sentence demonstrates using devine quoi to signal something unbelievable has happened.Tatoeba #6822130 by Yemana, translation #6316435 by sundown
- Devine quoi.Guess what.This sentence shows devine quoi used as a standalone statement.Tatoeba #9558802 by Micsmithel, translation #10455346 by sundown
- Mon cher ami, devinez quoi ? Je viens d'être promu au travail !My dear friend, guess what? I just got promoted at work!
- Figurez-vous que j'ai reçu une invitation à dîner avec le président !Guess what? I received an invitation to have dinner with the president!
- Tu sais quoi ? J'ai gagné deux billets pour le concert de ton groupe préféré !Guess what? I won two tickets to your favorite band's concert!
- Devine un peu qui va venir nous rendre visite cet été ? C'est ta cousine préférée !Guess who's coming to visit us this summer? It's your favorite cousin!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are talking about their weekend plans.
- HugoDevine quoi, j'ai trouvé des billets pour le concert !Guess what, I found tickets for the concert!
- ManonC'est vrai ? C'est génial, Hugo !Really? That's great, Hugo!
- HugoOui, on peut y aller samedi soir.Yes, we can go on Saturday night.
- ManonMerci beaucoup, j'ai hâte d'y être !Thank you so much, I can't wait!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “guess what” translations and entries devine quoi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, je, le, mille, quoi, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
