# Tu m'étonnes !



## quentin75

comment traduire ce genre de réponse?

*- cette fille est superbe!*
*- tu m'étonnes/ c'est clair (*plus à la mode)

peut-on dire " I' d say" pour "tu metonnes"? ou " you bet"?

*Moderator note: *multiple threads merged to create this one


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## Miels

yes both are ok. Or you could say "too right!" or "tell me about it" as a bit more of a "Modern" response...


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## waynetta

tu m'etonnes= literally means you surprise me but we would never say that in english all the time like in french, is there another translation for it?

thanks 

merci


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## CDSM

Actually "tu m'étonnes" is generally used in a more or less ironic way. So it usually means the exact opposite of what it looks like. It means "I'm not surprised".

For example:
- Ils n'ont pas voulu le laisser sortir.
-Tu m'étonnes, après ce qu'il a fait...

- They didn't want to let him out.
- I'm not surprised, knowing what he did...


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## Ha_na

I've watched the "39 nine steps" (Hitchcock) and in the train to Scottland, two traders were talking and one of them said with a so clear irony "you surprise me...". It was made in 1937 if I remember well but it has the same meaning today as the French "tu m'étonnes..."today!


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## pitchou

"I'm not surprised" is still more formal than "tu m'étonnes" (which i use a lot btw), actually i've wondered about it mor than once, how would you translate "tu m'étonnes" in a more colloquial way?


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## samdebretagne

It depends of course on the context, but "tu m'étonnes" can mean "no kidding" or "no wonder".


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## kiwi-di

pitchou said:


> how would you translate "tu m'étonnes" in a more colloquial way?



We'd often say:  _You don't say? _


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## david314

In America we might say sarcastically: *What a surprise!* OR *What a shock!*

A. _The insurance company has decided to deny liability._

B._ *What a surprise!*_


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## Chris' Spokesperson

How is this phrase best translated in English?

Like; 
la chambre était super froide ce matin .. tu m'etonne; moin 4 à londres !!

Damn right?  Or something similar?


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## LennyBoii

" *Damn right* " ; " *Tell me about it* " ! Those are the ones that I would've used !
I'm not really sure about the " tell me about it " though


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## B.P.O.

"You can say that again !"


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## Chris' Spokesperson

'Tell me about it' and 'You can say that again' don't match some of the contexts I've seen.  Like if only one person is talking, no transfer of 'information' sometimes you still say 'tu m'etonne' even though 'tu' has said nothing.


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## Aeg45

Going by the structure of the sentence, maybe something like "Are you kidding me?!" or maybe "I can't believe it!" ?? or perhaps simply "What the heck?!"


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## LennyBoii

Yeah , I think that " Tell me about it " would be more like " M'en parle pas ! " 
But " Damn right " is good , I guess


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## neon_cheesecake

What does the expression "tu m'etonnes" mean?
I guess the literal meaning is "you surprise me" but that doesn't always make sense in the context I hear it in.


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## XPditif

Actually it's ironical as I know it, using tu m'étonnes when you're the least likely to be
-- a politician is accused of corruption/ tu m'étonnes. (nevertheless showing connivence between the speakers)


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## phineasiquit

OK, so I hear this phrase all the time here in Ile-de-France. I understand the literal meaning, "you astound me" or something like that, but it's used in all kinds of contexts where that literal meaning makes little sense. I'm going to propose what I think it means, based on my deductions from a foreigner's perspective learning French: I think it is used often by listeners who do not have anything specific to say in response to something a speaker said but want to indicate that they were somehow impressed by the latter's words, sometimes in an effort to say "OK you've impressed me, now let's end the conversation/change topic." Let me give you some true examples to illustrate.

I told somebody that I took a boat across the Pacific Ocean. Response: "Tu m'étonnes..."
(Genuinely astounded)
During a rather boring conversation, I mentioned that I had eggs for breakfast. It was not a particularly interesting remark. Response: "Tu m'étonnes..." and then the listener paused for a second and excused herself. (Note here that she did NOT say "Tu m'étonnes" in a sarcastic voice. I think this is relevant because she's not trying to indicate that she's bored, but is really trying to make me feel like I said something valuable so that she can move on with her day not feeling guilty for ending the conversation.)
I enter the administrator's office in our department and ask "Je te dérange maintenant ?" Reply, "tu m'étonnes..." which would in fact mean, "you're surprising me". To me that would imply that indeed I was disturbing her, but in fact, I wasn't - she invited me right in. (Meant literally? Or as a greeting?)

I've also noticed that some people seem to use "Tu m'étonnes" all the time and others never.

Please, what is going on with this phrase???


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## orlando09

I guess it all depends on the tone of voice as to whether it really means "you amaze me" or if it is sarcastic, and also sometimes I think it actually means tu ne m'étonnes pas, but the pas is left out


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## phineasiquit

But that's the thing. It precisely does not seem to depend on tone of voice. I've never heard it delivered sarcastically, even in situations in which it might be interpreted as ironic. As the examples illustrate, I hope, I do not think it is actually used sarcastically.


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## fleuh

Hi, 

in fact "tu m'étonnes" is now used as "you bet" most of the time.
Of course, it can still be used when you are surprised.

By the way, I would translate "you amaze me" by "tu m'épates". 
Think of your clumsy friend coming to you tomorrow while juggling with 6 balls at a time.

Hope it helps.


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## phineasiquit

I don't mean to be picky, but how does the "you bet" interpretation explain the 2nd example?

"I had eggs for breakfast" - "You bet" doesn't work in English.


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## fleuh

It would work in french either.
Have you ever heard someone in french saying
"J'ai mangé des oeufs au p'tit-dèj" - "Tu m'étonnes"

Well, if yes, I don't know what he meant by that either.

The 2nd example was for "tu m'épates".
I agree that "you astound me" would match in english but I wanted to talk about the fact that you're amazed by the juggling.


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## phineasiquit

Interesting. Maybe the listener thought I said something else? Or didn't care what I said? I admit that sometimes when I'm with someone and not listening to what they're saying but don't want them to feel ignored I'll just kind of say "right on," or "that's right", or "gotcha" or something like that. Perhaps "tu m'étonnes" serves that function for some people?


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## BibioO

"Tu m'étonnes" is precisely used when you are not surprised by what the person you are to talking to is telling you.

For example in french:
personne 1 : "Je suis tellement énervé de savoir qu'il ait pu me faire ça.."
personne 2 : "ben ouais.. tu m'étonnes!! à ta place, je l'aurais tué.."

However, you wouldn't use this expression when you're talking to someone you hardly know. It's a bit slang.

Hope this helps!


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## franc 91

Often it's said by someone who is being blasé, so in fact the meaning is (ironically) the opposite of what is being said, so in English you would say - yes it/that doesn't surprise me or it can be also an expression of empathy - you're right there, I know just how you feel.


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## phineasiquit

Hm. The expression of empathy usage may explain some of the seemingly random inserts of "tu m'étonnes" that I hear.


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## orlando09

BibioO said:


> "Tu m'étonnes" is precisely used when you are not surprised by what the person you are to talking to is telling you.
> 
> For example in french:
> personne 1 : "Je suis tellement énervé de savoir qu'il ait pu me faire ça.."
> personne 2 : "ben ouais.. tu m'étonnes!! à ta place, je l'aurais tué.."
> 
> However, you wouldn't use this expression when you're talking to someone you hardly know. It's a bit slang.
> 
> Hope this helps!



That's how I thought it was most commenly used (though it doesn't seem to fit some of the original poster's examples). Would you agree that it actually seems to mean tu (ne)  m'étonnes (pas) ?


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## phineasiquit

Really ? "It's not surprising" ? That would explain pretty much all the usages above.

Wow. What a strange expression. I can't think of anything close in English... no phrase that captures the spectrum of uses of "Tu m'étonnes".


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## MikZzona

Hello,

I was trying to translate the french expression "Tu m'étonnes" into English, but I'm not quite sure about the best way to say it. In french, it is an ironic way of agreeing to a sentence pronounced before, like :

"Je déteste cet endroit! - *Tu m'étonnes*"
This is just an example, I am looking for an expression that would apply most of the time...

I was thinking about "*Tell me about it*". What do you guys think?

Thanks


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## staticmouse

"Tell me about it" is fine or "You're telling me!" or "No kidding!" or even "No shit!" if you're in that register...


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## prfct frch grl!

What is the most current expression to mean "Tu m'étonnes!" as we say in french when we mark our agreement in the everyday language. So "Tu m'étonnes!" should not be understood as a surprise, but an agreement.  Like:

 " - Je trouve ça génial/stupide
- Tu métonnes! "


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## Nem'o

I'm not a native speaker, but I would say "You bet!" is quite similar to "Tu m'étonnes!" in French.
It seems maybe a bit outdated though (by outdated, I mean that I heard it quite often in series/films in the 90s but not anymore).


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## prfct frch grl!

Yes maybe. Thank you!

One precision:
I meant a current expression instead of "you're right" or "I agree" and the classical ones.

Another example:
_- Pourquoi on devrait faire ça? (why we should do that?) _(when this is a way to say _"we shouldn't.")
_answer:_ - Tu m'étonnes! (in english?)_


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## Lueur75

D'après cet exemple l'équivalent le plus proche est:

"je trouve ça stupide"
-Indeed!


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## Kelly B

There's an extra word these days: I know, right?! 
But that'll surely be outdated next week. Only _old _people would say what the teenagers were saying _last _week. Just like only old people would say "these days." The answer to that, of course, is 
I know, right?


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## lucas-sp

Try just using "Right?" - no need for the "I know."

You can also try "Totally." Or, if you want to be cute, the voguish "Totes," but I think people will stop saying that in the near future.


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## marge simpson

last two are only used in America. Not used in Uk. My daughter just suggests 'Yeah I know'


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## prfct frch grl!

Thanks very much!

I think I'll use "I know", "Damn right" or "totes!", I like totes, too bad people will stop saying that (well, for a foreigner, it sounds good)

For "I know" or "Yeah I know", is it not kind of boring, like "Yeah I know" -> the person get me bored because he says something I already know. Or can I use it easily to mark an agreement?


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## wildan1

prfct frch grl! said:


> I like totes, too bad people will stop saying that (well, for a foreigner, it sounds good)


Be aware, pfg, that _totes_ is very California airhead-talk. If you are over 30 years old and have a whiff of intelligence, you might think twice about loving it...


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## prfct frch grl!

wildan1 said:


> Be aware, pfg, that _totes_ is very California airhead-talk. If you are over 30 years old and have a whiff of intelligence, you might think twice about loving it...



Haha, I'm not over 30 years old yet, but as I'm intelligent, I forget totes!


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## marge simpson

it's just day to day normal chat, tone of voice would alter how you meant it.
it wouldn't suggest boredom unless you were suggesting that with your expression.


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## chalni

marge simpson said:


> last two are only used in America. Not used in Uk. My daughter just suggests 'Yeah I know'



"I know, right?" has made its way to NZ. Both my 16 year old daughter (NZ born and raised) and 46 year old sister (Canadian born and raised, but NZ resident) use this phrase. I find it kind of cute. "Tell me about it" would be used here, too, maybe by slightly older people. Both imply total agreement with what the speaker just said.

Just a question about the original topic, which is the meaning of "tu m'etonne." Tonight in French class, the French prof said this to me, then asked whether I knew what he meant. I replied that he was being ironic. "That's right", he replied, "I am not actually surprised at all. What you just said is obvious, self-evident". This was said in French, but has left me wondering whether this phrase, "tu m'etonne", is just light-hearted, or was he really trying to insult me a little by implying that I should either say something more interesting or just shut up? In other words, my question is: Is "tu m'etonne" ever said as an insult? Was I being insulted? Or was it a "plaisanterie"?  I don't know how to take it. Any suggestions?


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## franc 91

No I wouldn't have thought that he would have said it to insult you, chiding you perhaps, but no more than that. As you can see it is a bit of a catch-all phrase - varying from empathy to irony, but not usually hostile. If I wanted to say - I don't believe a word you're saying or I find what you are saying is insulting in some way, I would start with - tu parles ! or go on to -  tu te fiches de moi ! etc  which are both rather strong language. (By the way, it's - tu m'étonnes !)


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## chalni

Whoops! Thanks for correcting my spelling- that's a fairly basic error on my part. Even if I was only being chided, I am still embarassed to provoke that response for saying that women like my mother who had learned shorthand skills many years ago were able to find secretarial employment easily, in the days before machines made this sort of skill redundant. (We were talking about using characters to write languages like Chinese, and he hadn't heard of Pittman shorthand.) Given that he insisted on the irony of his reply, I wondered whether he was saying, in effect, "Say something less boringly obvious next time." It's one of those somewhat indefinable phrases, perhaps, that can provoke cultural misunderstanding. "Lost in translation", in a way. Like some of the anglophone posters above, I found myself puzzling over the exact tone of the exchange, and I am now feeling a bit uncomfortable about returning for the next lesson.


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## franc 91

I wouldn't want to put you off going to lessons - I'm guessing that what he meant was more - I can well understand what you're saying - in a way he is emphasizing what you said, rather than being ironical about it.


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## Itisi

phineasiquit said:


> I enter the administrator's office in our department and ask "Je te dérange maintenant ?" Reply, "tu m'étonnes..." which would in fact mean, "you're surprising me". To me that would imply that indeed I was disturbing her, but in fact, I wasn't - she invited me right in. (Meant literally? Or as a greeting?)


Going back to 2010: he asks the administrator if he is disturbing her, and she answers, no, I'm just surprised (to see you)/I wasn't expecting to see you.  Nothing to do with using an ironical catch-phrase here!


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## franc 91

Apparently it is in the literal sense there, but that wouldn't be how I am used to hearing it being used.


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## Itisi

*franc*, I was just pointing out that you can't _always_ assume that it's being used in that ironical sense, because _sometimes_ it isn't (and then you don't undertand what's going on!)


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## Nooj

Je me demande si ces termes conviennent à cet exemple donné auparavant:

_



			- Pourquoi on devrait faire ça? (why we should do that?)
		
Click to expand...

_


> (when this is a way to say _"we shouldn't.")
> 
> _answer:_ - Tu m'étonnes! (in english?)_


_
_
You said it (sister!)
Word. 
Right on.
Too right.


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## Parigigi

"you betcha!"


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## Oddmania

@Nooj Yes, they sound right to me. I see you're Australian, so what about "_Deadset!_"?


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## L'irlandais

Some of the suggestions from Frenchspeakers, don't correspond to terms commonly used in English in the context when tu m’étonnes would be said in French.  This online article gives some good suggestions for suitable translations in various contexts.

Tu m'étonnes - Learn French at Lawless French


> tell me about it,
> tell me something I don’t know,
> you don’t say,
> no kidding


No kidding fits well.  You bet you does not.
Compare with *Synonyms *

_c’est clair_
_évidemment_
_je sais_
_sans blague_


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## Nooj

Oddmania said:


> @Nooj Yes, they sound right to me. I see you're Australian, so what about "_Deadset!_"?


Hm, I have to say it's not something I would personally say in this context. To me, it means being very fixed on an action, s'acharner à or to an extreme degree.

No way, Bill really wants to quit his job and become a chef?
Yeah, he's _deadset _serious.

"Too right" is a very Australian one that I use all the time. "Word!" is very American but that I sometimes use ironically (we get a lot of American media)


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## wildan1

L'irlandais said:
			
		

> No kidding fits well. You bet you does not.


_You bet _is a somewhat old-fashioned way in AE to reply to _Thank you. _It's a folksy way to say _You're welcome_.

But _You betcha!, _or _No kidding! _both would work in AE in this context.

Just like _You bet_, _You betcha!_ sounds midwestern and a bit old-fashioned.

More recent, and with a note of sarcasm, would be _Ya think?!_


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