A good expression to know that came up while I was listening to the radio is quand même.
You’re probably familiar with quand même when it means “anyway,” like this: C’est cher, mais je vais l’acheter quand même. It’s expensive, but I’m going to buy it anyway.
A usage you might be less familiar with is when quand même is used to show surprise.
Overheard on the radio:
— Ça coûte deux millions de dollars. Quand même!
— Quelle aubaine!
— It costs two million dollars. Imagine that!
— What a great price!
The speaker who said it was an aubaine said this sarcastically. He didn’t really believe it to be a great price.
Another example:
— Il roulait à 130 kilomètres à l’heure.
— Quand même…
— He was driving at 130 kilometres per hour.
— Imagine that…
We’ve also got aubaine in the first example above. Learn that one too. It’s a feminine word and refers to a good price, a sale item: C’est une aubaine. It’s a good deal, a good price.
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