sans rancune
/sɑ̃ ʁɑ̃.kyn/
The English phrase "no hard feelings" is translated into French as sans rancune.
sans rancune is used to signal that there is no lasting ill will after a disagreement, a rejection or a competitive situation. It is often used as an exclamation on its own.
Meaning: no resentment (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of sans (without) and rancune (resentment or grudge).
Did you know?
- The word rancune shares its roots with the English word 'rancid', both descending from the Latin 'rancidus' which describes something decaying or stinking.
- In very informal settings, a French speaker might use the word rancune ironically to tease a friend who is clearly still upset, effectively daring them to let it go.
- In French, rancune is often personified as something one 'holds' (garder de la rancune), treating a feeling of resentment like a physical object kept in a drawer.
Examples in context
- Sans rancune !No hard feelings!This sentence is useful for using sans rancune as an exclamation.Tatoeba #1534094 by sacredceltic, translation #1532933 by rul
- Je tiens à préciser qu'il n'y a aucun ressentiment de ma part.I want to clarify that there are no hard feelings on my part.
- Aucune rancune, mon cher ami.No hard feelings, my dear friend.
- On se quitte sans rancune.We are parting ways without any hard feelings.
- Je pars sans rancune malgré tout.I am leaving without any resentment despite everything.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are discussing a recent disagreement after a breakup.
- GabrielJe ne t'en veux pas, sans rancune.I don't hold it against you, no hard feelings.
- ChloéMerci, c'est gentil de ta part, Gabriel.Thank you, that's kind of you, Gabriel.
- GabrielOn peut rester en bons termes.We can stay on good terms.
- ChloéOui, c'est mieux comme ça.Yes, it's better this way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no hard feelings” translations and entries sans rancune, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rancune, sans, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
