French word of the Day: Naze
Distinctly unimpressed with a person, place or thing? We have just the word for you.
Why do I need to know naze?
Channelling your inner high schooler? Hanging out with a younger crowd? This is how to convey the idea that something is not up to standard.
What does it mean?
It means lame, stupid, dorky, useless. You'll frequently hear c'est naze - it sucks, that's lame - to describe a situation or a thing that's just no good.
As the translations suggest, it's generally a phrase for younger people but there's nothing wrong with older people using it too for a frustrating situation and it's helpful if you want to avoid swearing.
So you could say;
C'est naze que ton sac ait été volé - It sucks that your bag got stolen.
Pas de Métro, €50 pour un Uber, la grève c'est naze - No Metros, €50 for an Uber, this strike sucks.
On a quitté le concert au bout de 20 minutes parce que c'était naze - We left the gig after 20 minutes because it was lame.
Tout ça, c'est trop naze - The whole thing is so lame.
Any alternatives?
Yes, loads. It's a cliché but possibly a true one to say that the French are sometimes quite fond of a good grumble and so there are plenty of ways in French to suggest that you find something below par.
You will frequently hear c'est nul which has a similar meaning to c'est naze - it sucks.
There's a verlan version which means basically the same thing - c'est relou.
There's also the excellently French phrase ras-le-bol which doesn't have an exact translation but conveys a general sense of being fed up or deeply disappointed with something.
J'en ai ras-le-bol de l'école, c'est naze - I'm fed up with school, it sucks.
READ ALSO Eleven phrases that will let you complain like the French
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Why do I need to know naze?
Channelling your inner high schooler? Hanging out with a younger crowd? This is how to convey the idea that something is not up to standard.
What does it mean?
It means lame, stupid, dorky, useless. You'll frequently hear c'est naze - it sucks, that's lame - to describe a situation or a thing that's just no good.
As the translations suggest, it's generally a phrase for younger people but there's nothing wrong with older people using it too for a frustrating situation and it's helpful if you want to avoid swearing.
So you could say;
C'est naze que ton sac ait été volé - It sucks that your bag got stolen.
Pas de Métro, €50 pour un Uber, la grève c'est naze - No Metros, €50 for an Uber, this strike sucks.
On a quitté le concert au bout de 20 minutes parce que c'était naze - We left the gig after 20 minutes because it was lame.
Tout ça, c'est trop naze - The whole thing is so lame.
Any alternatives?
Yes, loads. It's a cliché but possibly a true one to say that the French are sometimes quite fond of a good grumble and so there are plenty of ways in French to suggest that you find something below par.
You will frequently hear c'est nul which has a similar meaning to c'est naze - it sucks.
There's a verlan version which means basically the same thing - c'est relou.
There's also the excellently French phrase ras-le-bol which doesn't have an exact translation but conveys a general sense of being fed up or deeply disappointed with something.
J'en ai ras-le-bol de l'école, c'est naze - I'm fed up with school, it sucks.
READ ALSO Eleven phrases that will let you complain like the French
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