de nulle part
The English phrase "out of the blue" is translated into French as de nulle part.
This phrase is used to describe something that happens suddenly and unexpectedly.
Which one should you use?
The expression Sortir de nulle part is an informal phrase meaning "to come out of nowhere." For formal descriptions, you may use De manière inattendue to mean "in an unexpected way" or De façon imprévisible to mean "in an unpredictable manner."
Did you know?
- The word nulle in de nulle part can be used as a slang adjective to describe a person or a performance as 'rubbish' or 'terrible'.
- While English uses the color 'blue' to signify the clear sky in this phrase, French uses nulle part, which literally means 'no place'.
- The word part in the phrase de nulle part is a linguistic 'false friend' for English speakers because it does not actually mean 'part' or 'piece' in this context. Instead, it functions as a component of a spatial expression meaning 'place'.
Examples in context
- Il est arrivé de nulle part.He appeared out of the blue.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are talking about an old friend.
- GabrielManon, j'ai reçu un appel de Marc.Manon, I got a call from Marc.
- ManonVraiment ? Il a appelé de nulle part !Really? He called out of the blue!
- GabrielOui, on ne s'est pas parlé depuis dix ans.Yes, we haven't spoken for ten years.
- ManonC'est vraiment surprenant.That is truly surprising.
