Dialogue
N’importe qui and n’importe quoi: anyone, anything or nonsense?
Practise n’importe qui and n’importe quoi in a conversation: open choices, asking anyone, saying that’s nonsense and refusing just anything.
- B1
- 10 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
N’importe qui means “anyone”; n’importe quoi means “anything”. In C’est n’importe quoi !, the second expression means “That’s nonsense!” Add pas in pas n’importe qui to mean “not just anyone”.
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Lina and Sam are preparing a short film review for their club. Practise Sam’s lines: give someone a choice, ask for help and react to an exaggerated claim. Use the English cues when your French lines are hidden.
- Lina
Qui peut relire notre critique ?
English
Who can proofread our review?
- Sam
N’importe qui dans le groupe peut nous aider.
Say that anyone in the group can help.
English
Anyone in the group can help us.
- Lina
Je peux demander à Julie ?
English
Can I ask Julie?
- Sam
Oui, tu peux demander à n’importe qui dans le groupe.
Say she can ask anyone in the group.
English
Yes, you can ask anyone in the group.
- Lina
Et pour le sujet ? On choisit quoi ?
English
And the subject? What do we choose?
- Sam
N’importe quoi, du moment que ça concerne le film.
Say anything is fine, provided it relates to the film.
English
Anything, as long as it relates to the film.
- Lina
Quelqu’un a écrit que ce film dure dix heures !
English
Someone wrote that this film lasts ten hours!
- Sam
C’est n’importe quoi ! Il dure quatre-vingt-dix minutes.
Call that nonsense and give the actual running time.
English
That’s nonsense! It lasts ninety minutes.
- Lina
On publie le premier commentaire qu’on reçoit ?
English
Shall we publish the first comment we receive?
- Sam
Je ne veux pas publier n’importe quoi. On vérifie d’abord.
Say you do not want to publish just anything; you will check first.
English
I don’t want to publish just anything. Let’s check first.
What does n’importe quoi mean?
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| N’importe qui peut répondre. | Anyone can answer. |
| Tu peux parler à n’importe qui. | You can speak to anyone. |
| C’est n’importe quoi ! | That’s nonsense! |
| Ce travail n’est pas pour n’importe qui. | This work is not for just anyone. |
Keep à with parler à and demander à. As a subject, n’importe qui takes a singular verb: peut. The apostrophe in n’importe belongs to the expression; it is not a cue to add pas. In Sam’s last line, the full ne… pas makes the choice more selective.