Ça m’est égal

Ca m'est égal
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Essential French Expression

MeaningI don’t care, It doesn’t matter, It’s all the same to me
LiterallyThat’s equal to me
Registernormal
PronunciationFrench sound files [sah meh tay gahl]
IPA  [sa mɛ te gal]

Usage notes: When you just don’t care, say ça m’est égal. This essential French expression indicates your inability or unwillingness to decide between two or more choices, whether stated or implied.

Par exemple…

– Est-ce que tu préfères le bleu ou le rouge ?
– Ça m’est égal.		 – Do you prefer the blue or the red?
– I don’t care. 
– Il serait mieux de commencer demain.
– Ça m’est égal.		 – It would be better to start tomorrow.
– It doesn’t matter, It’s all the same to me (when we start). 
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, ça m’est égal. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, it’s all the same to me.

Variation: Cela m’est égal

 Ça m’est égal can be used for any grammatical person – you just need to change the indirect object pronoun:

Ça t’est égal ? It’s all the same to you? You don’t care?
Ça lui est égal. It’s all the same to him/her. He/She doesn’t care.
Ça nous est égal. It’s all the same to us. We don’t care.
Ça vous est égal ? It’s all the same to you? You don’t care?
Ça leur est égal. It’s all the same to them. They don’t care.

 Mistake: Ça m’est égale. In this expression, égal is an adjective, and since its subject ça is neuter, égal must stay in the default masculine form.

French lesson plans Ça m’est égal in action

Example of a ça m’est égal variation in a real-life video from Lawless French Immersion:

… même si vous travaillez beaucoup, ça vous est égal. … even if you work a lot, it’s all the same to you.
Video: What’s the French for ‘entrepreneur’?

Synonyms

  • Peu importe – It doesn’t matter
     
    informal  (I don’t care)
  • Je m’en fiche
  • Je m’en moque
     
    familiar to vulgar  (I don’t give a damn / I don’t give a s*** / I don’t give a f***)

  • Je m’en fous
  • Je n’en ai rien à battre
  • Je m’en bats les couilles / l’œil / la race / les reins / les steaks

 Related lessons

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Ça m'est égal

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2 Responses

  1. Jon 12 June 2014 / 0:21

    Would the expression ‘c’est kif kif bourricot’ have the same meaning?
    C’est kif kif. C’est une expression que j’ai appris de mon prof qui vient de France. Je pense que l’expression veut dire ‘It’s pretty much the same thing.’

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