👉 See also: C’est la vie (that’s life) »
🎧 Audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a native speaker & professional voice artist from France
Level: A2 (Upper Beginner)
The French Word of the Day is tant pis, a short, punchy expression meaning “oh well” or “too bad.” It’s an everyday phrase you’ll rarely find in textbooks but will hear constantly on the streets of Paris.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
✅ Related lessons
Subscribe to the French Word of the Day
📘 Tant pis meaning
The expression tant pis has two main meanings. It can convey resignation, as in “oh well” or “never mind,” when something unfortunate can’t be helped. It can also carry a sharper meaning of dismissal or indifference, like “tough” or “too bad for you.”
🎧 Tant pis pronunciation
Tant pis is pronounced /tɑ̃ pi/ in IPA, roughly “tahn pee.”
📝 French and English examples
Tant pis – oh well, too bad
Il n’y a plus de biscuits. Tant pis, je mangerai une pomme !
There are no more cookies. Oh well! I’ll eat an apple.
J’ai encore fait la même bêtise. Tant pis !
I made the same mistake again. Too bad!
👉 See also: Avoir conjugation chart (to have) »
Nous avons encore raté le bus. Tant pis !
We missed the bus again. Oh well!
Vous ne venez pas demain ? Tant pis pour vous ! C’est pas mon problème !
You’re not coming tomorrow? Tough! That’s not my problem!!
Si tu ne bosses pas avant l’examen tant pis pour toi ! Tu risques de redoubler l’an prochain !
If you don’t study before the exam, that’s too bad! You risk staying back next year.
❓ Need a self-study guide?
Many students ask me which self-study course I recommend. My top pick is the À Moi Paris stories course from French Today. These engaging audio stories pair perfectly with your daily lessons here.
👉 Try it risk free »
📖 Read my review »
If you purchase the courses, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
🔗 Related words and expressions
- Tant mieux — So much the better / All the better / Great!
- Pas grave — No big deal / It doesn’t matter.
- C’est la vie — That’s life.
- Ce n’est rien — It’s nothing / Don’t worry about it.
- Peu importe — No matter / Whatever.
- Laisse tomber — Forget it / Drop it.
- Ça ne fait rien — It doesn’t matter / Never mind.
🚀 Expand your French vocabulary!
Now that you’ve mastered tant pis, check out my lesson covering the related expression ce n’est pas grave, meaning “it’s no big deal.”
👉 Learn ce n’est pas grave »
Discover more on FrenchLearner
👉 French Word of the Day »
👉 French for beginners guide »
👉 French song lyrics hub »
👉 French Vocabulary lists »
