Ne m’en veux pas

Ne m'en veux pas
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Informal French Expression

Meaning Don't be mad at me
Literally Don't want some from me
Register informal
Pronunciation French sound files [neuh ma(n) veuh pah]
IPA   [nə mã vø pa]

Usage notes: The French expression en vouloir à is used informally to acknowledge that you may have wronged another person while simultaneously, albeit unapologetically, requesting exoneration.

Par exemple…

J'ai fait de mon mieux, ne m'en veux pas.   I did my best, don't be mad at me.
Ce n'est pas ma faute, ne m'en veux pas.   It's not my fault, don't hold it against me.
Tu ne m’en veux pas ?   No hard feelings?

It’s probably most commonly used in the tu imperative, as in the first two examples, but vouloir can of course be conjugated for other subjects and in other tenses and moods …

Il ne m’en voulait pas.   He wasn’t mad at me.
J’espère que vous ne m’en voudrez pas.   I hope you won’t be mad at me.

and the indirect object pronoun can be changed to indicate other recipients of the potential anger.

Ne leur en veux pas.   Don’t be mad at them.
Nous ne t’en voulons pas.   We’re not mad at you.

Or, instead of a pronoun, you can specify the recipient with the preposition à + noun or name:

Nous n’en voulons pas aux médecins.   We don’t blame the doctors.
Je n’en veux pas à Thomas.   I’m not mad at Thomas.

The expression can also be used without ne … pas to ask or affirm that there is, in fact, a grudge being held:

Tu m'en veux ?   Are you mad at me?
Oui, je lui en veux !   Yes, I’m mad at him!

To specify what you’re mad about, use the preposition de + noun …

Tu m’en veux de ma bêtise ?   Are you mad at me for my blunder?
Je lui en veux de ce fouillis !   I’m mad at him for this mess!

… or + infinitive / past infinitive:

Tu m’en veux d’être en retard ?   Are you mad at me for being late?
Je lui en veux d’avoir triché.   I’m mad at him for cheating.

 In the expression en vouloir à, the adverbial pronoun en doesn’t really mean anything, but its inclusion is essential for this idiomatic meaning of being angry as opposed to wanting something.

French lesson plans En vouloir à in action

Examples of en vouloir à in real-life videos from Lawless French Immersion:

Regardez moi, de toute manière je vous en veux pas   Look at me, in any case I’m not even mad at you
Video: Zaz – Je Veux
     
Vous en voulez aux Américains ?   You’re mad at the Americans?
Video: France furious over U.S. submarine deal with Australia

 Related lessons

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Tu m'en veux ?

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