How do you say 'whatever' in French?

The most natural way to say 'whatever' as in 'it doesn't matter to me' is peu importe (puh am-port). It's dismissive but not rude. A stronger, more careless version is je m'en fiche ('I don't care').

What does 'laisse tomber' mean?

Laisse tomber literally means 'let it fall', and is used exactly like 'drop it', 'leave it' or 'never mind' in English. Say it when you want someone to stop pushing a subject — or to wave away something that isn't worth explaining.

How do you say 'calm down' in French?

Calme-toi (kalm-twah) is 'calm down' to one person you address as tu. To someone you'd call vous, or to several people, say calmez-vous. Be aware that telling an angry person to calme-toi can sometimes make things worse — just like in English.

What does 'ça suffit' mean?

Ça suffit means 'that's enough' or 'stop it'. It's firm — a parent's classic line to a misbehaving child is Ça suffit maintenant ! It sets a clear limit without being a swear word.

Are these casual French phrases rude?

No — all five are normal spoken French, not slang or swearing. But they're informal and often a bit sharp, so they belong with friends, family and people you address as tu, not in a formal or professional setting.

5 Casual French Reactions: Whatever, Calm Down, Leave It

Textbooks teach you how to describe things; they rarely teach you how to react. But real conversations are full of quick reactions — "Seriously?", "Whatever", "Leave it" — and the moment you can fire those off in French, you sound far more natural. My new video is a quick quiz: the English pops up, you try to say the French before the timer runs out. Here are all five, with pronunciation, tone, and exactly when to use each.

🎬 The English appears — can you say the French before the timer? Test yourself, then check below.

The 5 reactions

Sérieusement ? — Seriously? (say-ree-euz-mon)
Peu importe — Whatever / it doesn't matter (puh am-port)
Calme-toi — Calm down (kalm-twah)
Laisse tomber — Leave it / drop it (less tom-bay)
Ça suffit — That's enough (sa soo-fee)

When to use each one

These are close in feel but not interchangeable. Here's the nuance that makes you use them like a native:

Sérieusement ? — disbelief, like "Are you kidding me?". Even shorter and more casual: Sérieux ? or Non mais sérieux ?
Peu importe — you're waving the question away: it genuinely doesn't matter to you. Café ou thé ? — Peu importe.
Calme-toi — "calm down" to someone you call tu. For vous or a group: calmez-vous.
Laisse tomber — "drop it / never mind". Both for an argument (stop pushing it) and for something not worth explaining (forget it).
Ça suffit — a firm limit: "that's enough now." Stronger than the others; the classic parent line is Ça suffit maintenant !

A word on tone

None of these are swear words — they're everyday spoken French. But they're informal and often sharp, so they belong with friends, family and people you address as tu. In a formal or work setting, you'd soften them: Ce n'est pas grave instead of peu importe, or On peut en rester là instead of ça suffit. Delivery matters as much as the words — a smile turns laisse tomberinto a friendly "ah, forget it".

Test yourself

Play the video one more time and this time say each answer out loudbefore the French appears. Getting all five without hesitating means they're ready for a real conversation. Want the annoyed end of the spectrum too? See how to say "go away" in French. And if you want to actually practise reacting in real time, I teach one-to-one online — you can book a free 30-minute trial lesson or see how I work as a French tutor in Bangkok & online.