French word of the Day: Pfffff
When you're moving into a situation that is beyond words.
Why do I need to know Pfffff?
Because French is a particularly good language for expressive noises.
What does it mean?
You'll mostly need to know this one of you're involved in any kind of online/message interactions with French people, such as text messages, WhatsApp groups or tweets.
And that's because it's the written form of a noise - either a sigh or sharp exhalation of breath.
You will hear this a lot in spoken French, and when you're talking to someone it's pretty easy to discern the meaning of any random noises that get dropped into conversation.
READ ALSO The 9 noises that will make you sound truly French
In text messages it can be a little harder to discern and really Pfffff can mean anything from annoyance to relief or happiness, but it's probably most commonly used to indicate scepticism.
Use it like this
il y a une autre grève vendredi. - Pfffff, j'en peux plus - There's another strike on Friday. - Sigh, I can't take any more
As-tu regardé le match ? - Pfffff, je déteste le foot - Did you watch the match? Nah, I hate football
Spelling
As something that grew and proliferated online, there is no set rule on the number of 'f' used in the word. Dictionary Larousse insists that the word is 'pff' and 'pffff' or 'pfffff' are only variants, but we tend to see more of the four or five 'f' form in text messages. On the plus side, this is one where you can't really be incorrect.
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See Also
Why do I need to know Pfffff?
Because French is a particularly good language for expressive noises.
What does it mean?
You'll mostly need to know this one of you're involved in any kind of online/message interactions with French people, such as text messages, WhatsApp groups or tweets.
And that's because it's the written form of a noise - either a sigh or sharp exhalation of breath.
You will hear this a lot in spoken French, and when you're talking to someone it's pretty easy to discern the meaning of any random noises that get dropped into conversation.
READ ALSO The 9 noises that will make you sound truly French
In text messages it can be a little harder to discern and really Pfffff can mean anything from annoyance to relief or happiness, but it's probably most commonly used to indicate scepticism.
Use it like this
il y a une autre grève vendredi. - Pfffff, j'en peux plus - There's another strike on Friday. - Sigh, I can't take any more
As-tu regardé le match ? - Pfffff, je déteste le foot - Did you watch the match? Nah, I hate football
Spelling
As something that grew and proliferated online, there is no set rule on the number of 'f' used in the word. Dictionary Larousse insists that the word is 'pff' and 'pffff' or 'pfffff' are only variants, but we tend to see more of the four or five 'f' form in text messages. On the plus side, this is one where you can't really be incorrect.
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