sans commentaire
In French, "no comment" is said as sans commentaire.
The phrase sans commentaire is an official refusal to relay any further information. It is typically used as a standalone sentence in response to a direct question.
Meaning: "official" refusal to relay any further information (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition sans (without) and the noun commentaire (comment).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
sans commentaire is a standard, professional way to decline a request for a statement, often used by spokespeople or officials. Other formal alternatives include Je ne peux pas commenter (I cannot comment), Je préfère ne pas me prononcer (I prefer not to comment) or Je décline tout commentaire (I decline all comments).
Did you know?
- In French political culture, the act of refusing to comment is often seen as a strategic 'game' of communication known as la langue de bois or 'wooden language'.
- The phrase sans commentaire may actually be a 'calque' of the English 'no comment', meaning it was modeled directly after the English structure.
- A French speaker might accompany sans commentaire with a slight shrug or a lifting of the eyebrows to signal that the answer is obvious without being spoken.
Examples in context
- Sans commentaire.No comment.This example shows how to use sans commentaire as a standalone response.Tatoeba #873324 by U2FS, translation #873323 by U2FS
- Le ministre a répondu sans commentaire.The minister responded without comment.
Example conversation
A journalist asks a politician about a recent scandal.
- LucasMonsieur le maire, que pensez-vous de l'affaire ?Mr. Mayor, what do you think about the case?
- EmmaSans commentaire.No comment.
- LucasVous ne voulez vraiment rien dire ?You really don't want to say anything?
- EmmaJe reste sans commentaire pour le moment.I am remaining without comment for the moment.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no comment” translations and entries sans commentaire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries commentaire, sans, sans commentaire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
