Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| pas question | /pa kɛs.tjɔ̃/ /pɑ kɛs.tjɔ̃/ |
| en aucune façon | /ɑ̃.n‿o.kyn fa.sɔ̃/ |
| jamais de la vie | /ʒa.mɛ d(ə) la vi/ |
| pas moyen |
You can use pas question to mean 'no way' or 'no chance' when refusing a request, or pas moyen to indicate that there is no way to achieve a certain result. To say 'in no way', use en aucune façon and for an emphatic 'absolutely not', use jamais de la vie. You might also use loin de là to mean 'far from it' or 'not even close'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase pas question literally translates to 'no question', which implies that the matter is not even up for discussion.
Which one should you use?
Pas moyen is often used to express that something is impossible or that there is no way to achieve a specific result, whereas pas question is a refusal to allow something to happen.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
En aucune façon is a formal way to say 'in no way'. Pas question and jamais de la vie are informal, with jamais de la vie being particularly emphatic.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using pas question to mean 'no way' within a full sentence, the pronoun en is typically used to refer back to the subject being discussed, as seen in the phrase Il n'en est pas question !
How do you pronounce it?
/pa kɛs.tjɔ̃/
Did you know?
- The word pas in the negation 'not a bit' or 'no way' originally meant 'a step'. It comes from the Latin 'passus', implying the person is not even taking a single step toward an action.
Examples in context
- Il n'y a pas moyen.There's no way.This sentence shows how to say there is no way using pas moyen.Tatoeba #7839236 by sacredceltic, translation #4703037 by ddnktr
- Il n'en est pas question !No way!This sentence shows a strong refusal using pas question.Tatoeba #1481211 by Rovo, translation #2175 by CM
- Il n'y a pas moyen de gagner.There's no way to win.This sentence shows how to express there is no way to achieve a result using pas moyen.Tatoeba #1617352 by sacredceltic, translation #1617176 by Spamster
- Pas du tout! C'est impossible!Not at all! That's impossible!
- Absolument pas! Je ne peux pas accepter cette proposition.Absolutely not! I cannot accept this proposal.
- Pas question! Je ne ferai jamais ça.No way! I will never do that.
- Loin de là! Ce n'est pas du tout ce que j'ai dit!Not even close! That's not at all what I said!
- Même pas en rêve! Je ne vais pas assister à cette fête.No way! I'm not going to that party, not even in a dream.
- Pas moyen! Je ne vais pas faire ça juste pour toi.No way! I'm not going to do that just for you.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma asks Hugo to lend her his new car.
- HugoEst-ce que je peux emprunter ta voiture ?Can I borrow your car?
- EmmaPas question ! Elle est toute neuve.No way! It is brand new.
- HugoS'il te plaît, je ferai attention.Please, I will be careful.
- EmmaNon, pas question.No, absolutely not.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no way” translations and entries pas question, en aucune façon, jamais de la vie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, en, façon, jamais, jamais de la vie, pas, question, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
