Published May 9, 2024 • Updated July 1, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Zut — Meaning and Pronunciation
Zut is a French interjection meaning “darn!”, “shoot!”, or “oh no!” It is a mild, informal word used when something annoying or unexpected happens. You can say zut ! by itself, or use the common expression zut alors ! to mean “well, darn!” or “oh no!”
IPA pronunciation of zut is /zyt/, which sounds approximately like “zoot”.
Example Sentences
Zut ! J’ai oublié mes clés !
Shoot! I forgot my keys!
Zut ! Le restaurant est fermé ! On mange quoi du coup ?
Shoot! The restaurant is closed. So, what are we going to eat?
Ah zut ! Mon téléphone s’est planté encore !
Oh shoot! My phone crashed again!
Zut alors ! J’ai laissé mon parapluie à la maison et il commence à pleuvoir.
Darn it! I left my umbrella at home and it’s starting to rain.
Two other commonly used alternatives to “zut !” are “mince !” and “flûte !“
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Related French Words & Expressions
- mince ! — Darn! / Shoot!
- flûte ! — Darn! / Shoot!
- zut alors ! — Well, darn! / Oh no!
- zut à la fin ! — Oh come on! / Enough already!
- punaise ! — Darn! / Jeez!
- purée ! — Darn! / Jeez!
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