pas cool
The English phrase 'not cool' can be translated into French as pas cool.
The phrase pas cool is used to describe both a person's behavior (e.g., being rude) and a situation (e.g., a bad coincidence or an unfair event). While cool is a loanword from English, pas cool is the standard way to express the negative sentiment in modern French slang.
Which one should you use?
Depending on the specific nuance you want to convey, you might use other informal alternatives: pas génial means 'not great', pas classe means 'not classy', pas top means 'not top-notch' and pas terrible means 'not good, not great'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
pas cool is an informal phrase. It is used primarily in spoken French or casual messaging.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québécois French, the phrase Pas ben ben is used to mean 'not great'. In Swiss French, Pas fameux means 'not famous, not great'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In a complete sentence, pas cool is preceded by Ce n'est (it is not) to express that a situation or behavior is uncool, forming the phrase Ce n'est pas cool.
Did you know?
- In modern spoken French, the word ne from the full phrase ce n'est pas cool is almost always dropped, leaving only c'est pas cool.
- The word pas in pas cool is actually a noun that once meant 'a step'. It evolved from the idea of 'not even a step' to become the standard way to say 'not' in French.
- The word cool is an English loanword, but it is often used in French to describe someone who is easy-going or relaxed rather than just 'trendy'.
Examples in context
- Ce n'est pas cool.This is not cool.This sentence demonstrates how to use pas cool in a complete sentence.Tatoeba #392280 by qdii, translation #392279 by DJ_Saidez
- Tu es rentré tard hier soir ? Pas cool, mec.You came home late last night? Not cool, dude.
- Son attitude envers moi n'était vraiment pas géniale.Her attitude towards me was really not great.
- J'aime pas du tout la nouvelle chanson de ce groupe. Pas fort, à mon avis.I really don't like the new song from that band. Not great, in my opinion.
- La qualité du service dans ce restaurant n'était pas top, vraiment pas terrible.The service quality in that restaurant was not great, really not good.
- C'est vraiment pas cool de faire ça.It is really not cool to do that.
- Ton comportement n'est pas cool du tout.Your behavior is not cool at all.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are talking about a friend's rude comment.
- HugoIl a été super méchant avec toi.He was really mean to you.
- ChloéOui, ce n'était pas cool.Yes, it was not cool.
- HugoJe ne supporte pas son attitude.I can't stand his attitude.
- ChloéMoi non plus, Hugo.Me neither, Hugo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cool, pas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
