How do you say 'who asked?' in French?

Qui t'a demandé ? (kee tah duh-mon-day) literally means 'who asked you?'. It's a cheeky, dismissive comeback for when someone gives an opinion nobody wanted — the exact equivalent of the English 'who asked?'. It's playful between friends, but genuinely rude to a stranger.

What does 'genre' mean in French slang?

Beyond its dictionary meaning ('kind' or 'type'), genre (zhonr) is used by younger French speakers exactly like the English 'as if' or the filler 'like'. On its own, said with a flat, unimpressed tone, it means 'yeah, right' or 'as if that's true'.

How do you say 'dream on' in French?

Tu rêves (too rev) literally means 'you're dreaming', and is used just like 'dream on' or 'you wish' in English — a light way to tell someone their expectation is never going to happen.

What does 't'as de beaux yeux' mean?

T'as de beaux yeux (tah duh boh-zyuh) means 'you have beautiful eyes'. It's one of the most famous flirt lines in French cinema — Jean Gabin's 'T'as de beaux yeux, tu sais' from the 1938 film Le Quai des brumes — so it lands as charming and a little cheeky, not creepy.

Are these sassy French phrases rude?

They're informal and cheeky, not swearing. Said with a smile between friends they're playful. Said coldly to a stranger, the dismissive ones (qui t'a demandé ?, commence pas) really are rude — so keep them for people you address as tu.

5 Sassy French Phrases: Who Asked?, Dream On, As If

Textbook French is polite and neat. Real French, between friends, is full of attitude — the quick, cheeky lines you fire back when someone says something silly. My new video is a fast quiz: the English pops up, you try to say the sassy French before I do. Here are all five — four dismissive comebacks and one legendary flirt line — with pronunciation, tone and exactly when they work.

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

The 5 phrases

Qui t'a demandé ? — Who asked? (kee tah duh-mon-day)
Tu rêves — Dream on / you wish (too rev)
Genre — As if / yeah right (zhonr)
Commence pas — Don't start (koh-monss pah)
T'as de beaux yeux — You have beautiful eyes (tah duh boh-zyuh)

When to use each one

These feel similar but each has its own moment. Here's the nuance:

Qui t'a demandé ?— literally "who asked you?". The classic reply to an unwanted opinion. Cheeky with friends, sharp with anyone else.
Tu rêves— "you're dreaming". Use it when someone's expectation has no chance: Tu me prêtes ta voiture ? — Tu rêves.
Genre— its normal meaning is "kind / type", but on its own, with a flat tone, it's the French "as if". Younger speakers also drop it in mid-sentence like the English filler "like".
Commence pas — "don't start". It's the full ne commence pas with the ne dropped, exactly as spoken French does. A warning that you're not in the mood for someone's nonsense.
T'as de beaux yeux— the pivot from sassy to smooth. It's "you have beautiful eyes", and it's famous: Jean Gabin's line T'as de beaux yeux, tu sais in the 1938 film Le Quai des brumes is one of the most quoted flirt lines in French cinema.

A word on tone

None of these are swear words — they're everyday spoken French. But they are informal and a little sharp, so they belong with friends, family and people you address as tu. Delivery is everything: qui t'a demandé ? with a grin is teasing; the same words said coldly to a stranger are genuinely rude. In a formal or work setting, drop the dismissive ones entirely.

Test yourself

Play the video one more time and this time say each answer out loud before I do. Getting all five without hesitating means they're ready for a real conversation. Want more attitude? Try my 5 sarcastic French comebacks and these 5 casual French reactions. And if you want to actually practise this kind of natural, spoken French, 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.