Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| bof | /bɔf/ |
| c'est ça ! | |
| qu'importe | /k‿ɛ̃.pɔʁt/ |
The way you say "whatever" in French depends on whether you are expressing indifference, sarcasm or stating that something is irrelevant. Use bof as an interjection to show a lack of interest. Use qu'importe or peu importe to mean "it doesn't matter" or "no matter". If you want to be sarcastic, as in saying "yeah, right!", use c'est ça !
Which one should you use?
bof is a dismissive interjection used to show you do not care, whereas qu'importe is a formal way to say "it doesn't matter" or "no matter". In contrast, c'est ça ! is used specifically for sarcasm when you do not believe what someone is saying.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bof is an informal interjection. c'est ça ! is also used in informal, sarcastic contexts. For more formal situations, use qu'importe or peu importe to convey indifference or to say that something is irrelevant.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
peu importe is a common way to express that something is irrelevant and can often be used as a synonym for qu'importe.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔf/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with n'importe quoi. While English speakers often use it to mean "whatever" (indifference), in French it more often means "nonsense" or "rubbish".
Did you know?
- The interjection bof is often accompanied by a specific shrug of the shoulders and a slight puff of the lips to fully convey indifference.
- In French, the concept of 'whatever' can be expressed through the verb importer, which in this context means 'to matter' rather than 'to bring goods into a country'.
- The phrase qu'importe is actually a remnant of an old-fashioned way of asking a question, such as 'what does it matter?'
Examples in context
- Qu'importe le jeu auquel il joue, il gagne toujours.Whatever game he plays, he always wins.This sentence shows how to use qu'importe to mean 'whatever' in the context of a game.Tatoeba #1450081 by sacredceltic, translation #36808 by Dejo
- Elle était capable de répondre, qu'importe ce qui était demandé.She was able to answer whatever was asked.This sentence uses qu'importe to describe responding to any kind of question.Tatoeba #334246 by sysko, translation #316889 by CM
- Peu importe les circonstances, nous devons respecter les règles.Whatever the circumstances, we must respect the rules.
- Nous devons nous concentrer sur l'objectif principal, qu'importe le chemin à prendre.We should focus on the main goal, whatever the path to take.
- On se retrouve au cinéma ? Peu importe le film, ça me va !Shall we meet at the cinema? Whatever movie works for me!
- Tu veux aller au parc ou à la piscine ? Bof, peu importe.Do you want to go to the park or the pool? Whatever, it doesn't matter to me.
- Quelles que soient les circonstances, nous devons rester calmes.Whatever the circumstances, we must remain calm.
- Bof, je m'en fiche un peu.Whatever, I don't really care.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are deciding which movie to watch.
- ManonOn regarde un film d'horreur ?Shall we watch a horror movie?
- LucasNon, je préfère une comédie.No, I prefer a comedy.
- ManonBof, on choisit ce que tu veux.Whatever, we'll choose whatever you want.
- LucasMerci, Manon !Thanks, Manon!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whatever” translations and entries bof, qu'importe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries c'est, qu'importe, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
