# Duh! / No duh!



## Apus

Quel est l'équivalent de l'interjection familière _duh_ […] que l'on voit dans certains forums ou certaines conversations ?

(French equivalent of colloquial _duh_ ?)


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## zinc

"Duh" […] is a colloquial term used for sarcastic effect to indicate that someone has stated something completely obvious. In any case, that's the way it's used on the bus I catch each morning which is populated by schoolkids. […]


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## RobInAustin

[…]
"Duh" on the other hand is exactly as Zinc said, the usual sarcastic response to a statment of the patently obvious. "Nothing on TV tonight to watch"..."Well, DUH!" or "The score of the football game is 45 - 0, only two minutes left, looks like they will win the game..." "Well DUH!"
[…]


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## fetchezlavache

yes, i sometimes translate 'duh' by 'ça t'étonne?' it's very ironic, 'duh' i mean, so you have to use all the sarcasm in your voice if you use 'ça t'étonne'... but i don't think we have a stock translation...


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## petit_foufou

I've been told that the French have no equivalent for this word- that they just don't have "duh moments" 

Here's what it means (from my mac computer dictionary) in English:
duh |də; doŏ| exclamation informal used to comment on an action perceived as foolish or stupid : I left the keys in the ignition—duh! • used to comment on a statement or assertion perceived as obvious : Fukuyama believes that the Iraq war may have been the biggest strategic blunder in American history (duh!)


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## kertek

> I left the keys in the ignition—duh!


duh = "quel con..."



> Fukuyama believes that the Iraq war may have been the biggest strategic blunder in American history (duh!)


duh = "non, sans blague?!"


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## Gentiléen

à la place de "sans blague" on peut dire : 
"sans rire !?"
"sans déconner !?"
"sans déc' !?" (qui est une forme abrégée de la précédente)


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## danielle_davout

Fukuyama is not the one who has made the blunder ... 
duh = "quel con..." ne convient pas !
duh :Used to express disdain for something deemed stupid or* obvious, especially a self-evident remark*
something deemed stupid : 
Quelle cagade !
Elle est bien bonne !
*obvious :* 
Tiens donc !
Ah vraiment ?


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## williamtmiller

It may be a little dated, but I would be tempted to say Pardi! in those cases.


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## kertek

On ne dit pas "quel con" pour dire "qu'est-ce que je suis con"?


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## loicos

Si si, ca se dit, Kertek


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## TRG

The use of "duh!" in my experience is always directed at someone who has just made an obviously factual statement such as, "Gee, I guess I should have put my underwear on before my pants instead of after" -- DUH!  It would not be used in the instance of the Fukiyama statement unless, perhaps, one was in an environment where everyone listening to it believed it to be an obviously factual statment.  In any event the inference would not be that Fukiyama made a blunder. 

TRG


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## french4beth

Or possibly "_hein_" (can also mean, "_eh_? _what_?" among other meanings)

"_Hein_, que je suis niaiseuse aujourd'hui!"
"Uh, I feel so stupid today!"


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## danielle_davout

williamtmiller said:
			
		

> It may be a little dated, but I would be tempted to say Pardi! in those cases.



j'en pince pour pardi ..


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## Lezert

for obvious, especially a self-evident remark, il ya "La Palisse!"  
"c'est une La Palissade"  une "vérité de La Palisse"


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## Quake 3

So, in my context, when the interjection is used as a response to the words "_dumb_", "_stupid_", "_idiotic_", "_moronic_", which translation should I pick?

*'Well, duh!'*

It's from the video game Quake 3, which has many sarcastic sentences among all its cues. RobInAustin made a really good and convincing point above. So, do you think something like "Eh ben voyons!" or "Allons donc!" can be okay, here?

Thanks a lot!


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## floise

Quake3,

Yes, RobInAustin gave some good examples that show the meaning of 'DUH!' in your context. It would be something like :T'es donc ben brillant, toi!'

floise


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## laura003

How would you translate this slang term to french? or is there another equivalent? 

No Duh: 
_A blunt reply to a statement that is obvious; sarcastic agreement--"oh really?"_
1) No duh Ivan is the strongest one on the team; he stays late to work out. 

2) You're going to get in trouble if you steal your teacher's notes. No duh! 

 - http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=no%20duh

Thank you
Merci


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## klodaway

I believe there's nothing as short as "Duh" available in French.

The only equivalent would be "sans déconner!"; the problem being that "déconner" is a (gentle) swear word...

klod-


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## laura003

Thank you... But this is an assignment so im guessing using the verb "déconner" would be innappropriate. Any other suggestions?


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## DeLaMancha

"Sans rire" ou "sérieusement" me paraît plus approprié


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## hayh

In my experience, _ouais_ or _mouais_ (variants of _oui_) with the right tone convey _duh_.


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## klodaway

hayh said:


> In my experience, _ouais_ or _mouais_ (variants of _oui_) with the right tone convey _duh_.



I have to disagree on this.

- "ouais" is simply a mis-pronounced "oui".
- "mouais" is typically used when you barely agree with a statement.
_
NB : DeLaMancha's suggestions are indeed much better than mine in your context._

klod-


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## hayh

Thanks, klod, it's entirely possible that I've misunderstood the usage of those terms, as I'm not a native French speaker.


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## laura003

So what would sound better when speaking?
1
P1 : Il pleut dehors
P2 : Sans rire?!

2
P1 : Il pleut dehors
P2 : Serieusment?!


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## klodaway

I would definitely go with #1 if we are in a context where "duh" applies (_e.g._ they are looking through a window).

klod-


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## akaAJ

Is "sans blague" old fashioned?

"No shit" can be used to express surprise, but also in the sarcastic sense above.  Obviously not in print, but not uncommon at any age or social status.

I don't see why "Mouais" won't serve.  Its English equivalents are "yeah yeah" and "yeah, ... right" (answer to when two positives make a negative).


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## DeLaMancha

klodaway said:


> I would definitely go with #1 if we are in a context where "duh" applies (_e.g._ they are looking through a window).


Je pense que dans ce cas précis, on répondrait plutôt : "Vraiment ?" ou "Ah, bon ?".



ArrogantJew said:


> Is "sans blague" old fashioned?


"sans blague" is not bad. Depends on who you are speaking to.


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## laura003

Won't vraiment sound like you actually don't know?

Ex:
P1 : Il pleut dehors.
P2 : Vraiment?

Or would you just change your tone of voice?


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## DeLaMancha

laura003 said:


> Or would you just change your tone of voice?


 Yes.


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## laura003

so in writing "vraiment" would not work...right?


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## DeLaMancha

It would perfectly work but only with the question mark.


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## Icetrance

But "duh" by itself can mean "really" 

Yes, 2+2 = 4, duh? (sarcastic"

Maybe you could say "Ah bon"?


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## XPditif

Pardon pour l'intrusion en cours, mais, par rapport au post originel de LAURA003, je comprends no duh comme no doubt.
Phrase1: Pas de doute/ y'à pas de doute/ aucun doute, Ivan est le plus fort de l'équipe...
Phrase2: ... tu vas avoir des problèmes, c'est sûr/ clair/ évident.
Ah, ça va mieux. Bon, je retourne dormir.


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## akaAJ

"duh" began as the imitation of the sound an ignorant person would make at the beginning of a pitiful attempt to answer or explain something.  "Why were you pulling the bull's penis?" "Duh, I thought it was a cow."  Hence, an example of complete failure to see the obvious.  It evolved first to the sense of "Duh. _You_ thought it was a cow?!!!" and then to its current use as the expression of disdain when someone actually states the glaringly obvious.  Thus "vraiment?" or "ah bon?" sound fine.  I should add that "duh" is used among the young.  "No kidding" is far more common elsewhere.


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## akaAJ

Now I'm completely confused.  My entry disappeared, so I rewrote it, then the original appeared, so I tried to delete the second, and both disappeared.  Once more unto the breach, dear friends ...

As far as I know, "duh" was first used for the sound a fool makes at the beginning of a pitiful answer:  "Why did you pull the bull's penis ?!!" "Duh, I thought it was a cow".  The fool cannot see the painfully obvious.  This evolved first into the imitation of the fool in the incredulous "Duh, you thought it was a _cow_ ?!! ", and finally into the expression of disdain to someone who can't refrain from stating the painfully obvious: "It's raining." "Duh, you think?"  So "Vraiment ?"  and "Ah bon ?" (delaMancha) would serve perfectly well.  I have never heard the combination "_No_, duh", but since the use of "duh" is strongly age dependent I may simply be out of the loop.

I give up. Let this stand as is.


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## WordRef1

ArrogantJew said:


> ...
> I don't see why "Mouais" won't serve.  Its English equivalents are "yeah yeah" and "yeah, ... right" (answer to when two positives make a negative).


désolé, mais je ne suis pas d'accord. 
Il me semble que "mouais" soit comme "yeeeah" qui exprime un sens de doute quand il se dit d'une certaine manière.
"yeah right!" s'utilise sarcastiquement pour exprimer manque de croyance.
Oui, "no duh" = no kidding (used sarcastically) = sans blague/sans rire (je crois)
"yeah yeah" is used when a person is agreeing, but with a sense that the other person is nagging a bit.
It all depends on the tone or manner of speech, or clear context if written.


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## akaAJ

"Yeah, yeah" can be used as a less than enthusiastic assent:  "Look, are you coming?". "Yeah, yeah".  But trust me, there are sections of the US where "Yeah, yeah" is a sign of incredulity.


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## Icetrance

akaAJ said:


> "Yeah, yeah" can be used as a less than enthusiastic assent: "Look, are you coming?". "Yeah, yeah". But trust me, there are sections of the US where "Yeah, yeah" is a sign of incredulity.


 
You are right about that. Pretty much everywhere that is the case!


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## anniebannie

et, selon le contexte : zut ! fourt (en Belgique)

mais le duh moment mentionné ici ?

http://mondoweiss.net/2010/02/duh-m...m_campaign=Feed:+feedburner/WDBc+(Mondoweiss)


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## Cath.S.

Une idée :
À Haaretz, on se dit (ou _la rédaction d'Haaretz se dit_) « Bon sang, mais c'est bien sûr ! » : le boycott de la Comission Goldstone était une erreur.

Autre solution :
_Haaretz a la révélation d'une évidence : le boycott etc._


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

kertek's first "duh" of exasperation with self could be expressed in French as : grrr !!!!


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## elmingo

I reopen this thread as I thought of "Devine ?!" used in a sarcastic way, to translate "Duh".


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## leonedavis

I think the best translation for "No Duh" would be something along the line of "Tu m'étonnes"..... in the way that "no duh" can mean "tell me something I don't know".


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## Icetrance

_Tu m'en diras tant!_ But can be used non-sarcastically, too.


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## Word!

Vieux film mais en faisant mes recherches, j'ai pensé à "logique !" ou "c'est logique !".

Ex : Driver "Why did you pull me over?"
Cop "You don't have plates"
Driver : "that's because it's a new car. *Duh!*"

Conductrice "Pourquoi m'avez-vous arrêtée ?"
Flic "Vous n'avez pas de plaques d'immatriculation"
Conductrice "Je viens tout juste d'acheter la voiture. *C'est logique !*"


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## hirondelled'hiver

Dans cet exemple:
-_ why are you scratching?
- because it's itchy! Duh_!

... je trouve que "pardi!" fonctionne bien.
- pourquoi tu te grattes?
- parce que ça me démange... *pardi *!

ou... *quelle question?!*
(sur un mode ironique)


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## Nicomon

Je suis d'accord, mais  _pardi _ - peut-être plus franco-français - ne me viendrait pas spontanément

Pour cet exemple précis, je dirais :
- _pourquoi tu te grattes?
- ben, parce que ça me pique... *c't'affaire !   *_(équivalent ici de _évidemment_)

En as-tu d'autres questions comme ça ?

Sinon, selon le contexte, à part _ Vraiment ? / Tiens donc ! / Sans blague _ je dis :  * Non!  tu m'dis pas !  / Ben tiens ! *


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## Don Calvus

akaAJ said:


> Is "sans blague" old fashioned?
> 
> I don't see why "Mouais" won't serve.  Its English equivalents are "yeah yeah" and "yeah, ... right" (answer to when two positives make a negative).



No, "sans blague" is actually perfect, but "sans dec" too, depending on context, who is talking, etc.

"Mouais" is definitely out of the question, as it bears no sarcastic tone at all, just mild agreement verging on disagreement. It is not equivalent to "yeah yeah" or "yeah right", which would be more cleverly translated by "ouais, c'est ça" (with ellipsis or exclamation mark to spice it up if need be) or the old fashioned "cause toujours" (for people still using "pardi !" of course!).


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