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How surprised are you? French from tiens to je n'en reviens pas
Tiens !, ah bon ?, c'est pas vrai !, sans blague !, je n'en reviens pas, j'en suis resté·e bouche bée: react to news in French, mild to stunned.
- B1
- 7 steps
- mild → stunned
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In short
French surprise reactions rise from tiens ! (oh!) and ah bon ? (really?) to c'est pas vrai ! (no way!), sans blague ! (you're kidding!), je n'en reviens pas (I can't get over it) and j'en suis resté·e bouche bée (I was speechless).
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stunned
- J'en suis resté·e bouche bée.I was speechless.Literally 'mouth open'.
- Je n'en reviens pas.I can't get over it.Lasting astonishment.
- Sans blague !You're kidding!Casual.
- C'est pas vrai !No way!Exclamation, not a question.
- C'est vrai ?Is that true?Genuine question.
- Ah bon ?Really?The everyday reaction.
- Tiens !Oh! / Well!A small, pleasant surprise.
mild
Hear it in use
- Amie
Tu sais quoi ? Marc et Julie se marient !
Guess what? Marc and Julie are getting married!
- Toi
Sans blague ! Ils se connaissent depuis trois mois !
You're kidding! They've known each other three months!
- Amie
Et ils partent vivre en Australie.
And they're moving to Australia.
- Toi
Je n'en reviens pas… j'en reste bouche bée.
I can't get over it… I'm speechless.
Ah bon ? is the reflex reply to any news, even slightly surprising. Tiens also introduces a small discovery: Tiens, il pleut. Intonation matters: c'est pas vrai rising is a question, falling is an exclamation. Je n'en reviens pas keeps the en: you can't get back from it.
Tiens, c'est toi ! Je ne t'avais pas reconnu.
Oh, it's you! I didn't recognise you.
- Je ne reviens pas.Je n'en reviens pas.
Keep en: otherwise it means 'I'm not coming back'.
- Pas de blague !Sans blague !
Fixed expression.