Which one should you use?
You can use personne ne s'en soucie to convey that no one cares or is concerned about something in a more polite manner. For a more specific meaning of no one paying attention or giving importance to something, you can use Personne ne prête attention à cela. If you wish to state that no one is interested or invested in a topic, use Ça n'intéresse personne.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form tout le monde s'en fout is highly informal and uses the verb foutre, which can be considered vulgar or blunt depending on the context. For a formal or polite tone, use personne ne s'en soucie. Similarly, the phrase Personne ne prête attention à cela. is a formal way to indicate that no one is paying attention to something.
How does it change in a sentence?
Even though the English phrase uses the subject 'no one', the French expression tout le monde s'en fout uses tout le monde (everyone) to express the same sentiment of total indifference.
Did you know?
- The word monde in tout le monde originally comes from the Latin mundus, which meant 'pure' or 'clean'.
- The verb foutre used in tout le monde s'en fout is so versatile that it can be used as a noun meaning 'a mess' or 'chaos'.
Examples in context
- Tout le monde s'en fout.No one cares.This sentence is useful for expressing that no one cares.Tatoeba #1234015 by sacredceltic, translation #1773913 by Spamster
- J'ai passé deux semaines à préparer ce dîner et tout le monde s'en fout.I spent two weeks preparing this dinner, and no one cares.
- Franchement, tout le monde s'en fout de tes problèmes.Frankly, no one cares about your problems.
- Tu parles de politique, mais tout le monde s'en fout.You're talking about politics, but no one cares.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a celebrity's drama in a cafe.
- ChloéTu as vu les dernières nouvelles sur cette célébrité ?Did you see the latest news about this celebrity?
- NathanNon, et honnêtement, tout le monde s'en fout.No, and honestly, no one cares.
- ChloéC'est vrai, c'est un sujet vraiment inutile.It's true, it's a really useless topic.
- NathanExactement, passons à autre chose.Exactly, let's move on to something else.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, monde, tout, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
