# What is the foreign language equivalent of America's "Well, duhhhhhh"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 2, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924 "2016-07-02T15:38:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/21 "2016-07-04T16:36:38Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Japanese largely doesn’t have sarcasm. They’d just call you an idiot (baka) or let it slide. I’ve heard a couple expats use a somewhat underwhelmed そうですか or そうか (sou desu ka/sou ka? is that so?) for more or less this purpose. Just kind of a bemused “oh, really?” But I suppose it’s possible American sarcasm has rubbed off on them too much. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/22 "2016-07-04T17:00:33Z")
I hear “_loco gringo_” from Spanish speakers a lot since I learned “_fucking idiot_” isn’t exactly Spanish … ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/23 "2016-07-04T19:50:14Z")
In French, you can use _Vous m’en direz tant !_ (litterally, _You’ll tell me so much about it !)_. It can be used to express genuine surprise but it’s usually said to mean the opposite of that i.e. mock surprise. Definitely old-fashioned. _Bon sang mais c’est bien sûr !_ can also be used in this way. Pretty old-fashioned, too. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/24 "2016-07-04T20:01:02Z")
There’s also “_Sans déconner ?_”, a more slang-y turn of phrase, meaning “no kidding” or “you don’t say” (to be used in a heavily sarcastic tone) and “_Ah bon, tu crois ?_” (“ya \*think \*?”), sometimes short-lengthened to “\*Ah booon \*?” in mock surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/25 "2016-07-04T20:08:14Z")
There’s a local equivalent, “There ya go!” that I hear more than “Duh!”. I’m not sure The Simpsons has penetrated rural Wisconsin just yet – give it a few more years. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/26 "2016-07-04T22:10:35Z")
BTW, the origin of “duh” is the Warner Brothers cartoons (Bugs Bunny, etc.) that parodied Grapes of Wrath. The “duh” sound was made by the Lenny character. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/27 "2016-07-05T02:22:14Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > There’s a local equivalent, “There ya go!” that I hear more than “Duh!”. Is that the Northern “Bless your heart”? ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/28 "2016-07-05T07:58:03Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > There’s also “_Sans déconner ?_”, a more slang-y turn of phrase, meaning “no kidding” or “you don’t say” (to be used in a heavily sarcastic tone) and “_Ah bon, tu crois ?_” (“ya \*think \*?”), sometimes short-lengthened to “\*Ah booon \*?” in mock surprise. Yes, good ones and much more modern than the ones I mentioned, which would make people think that you’ve lived in a cave since the 50s if you used them. Somehow, I couldn’t think of anything more up-to-date. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/29 "2016-07-05T23:35:42Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Mandarin Chinese: > > \*Fei hua! \* (“Wasted words” - in other words, “it was obvious, you wasted words needlessly”) > \* > Ni \*\*cai \*\*ne? \* (“Well, what do you _ **THINK** _?”) Or 當然 Dang ran (of course) ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/30 "2016-07-06T01:09:53Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Japanese largely doesn’t have sarcasm. They’d just call you an idiot (baka) or let it slide. True about the sarcasm. But they could still say 当たり前だよ！Atarimae da yo! It’s a given! ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/31 "2016-07-06T04:07:57Z")
In Australia, one might say “Derr…” in the same way [Kylie Mole style](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lsWA3vIFv8) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/32 "2016-07-06T06:33:54Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > There’s also “_Sans déconner ?_”, a more slang-y turn of phrase, meaning “no kidding” or “you don’t say” (to be used in a heavily sarcastic tone) and “_Ah bon, tu crois ?_” (“ya \*think \*?”), sometimes short-lengthened to “\*Ah booon \*?” in mock surprise. You’ll like this one: Spain, yet another version, “_¿no es coña?_” (not to be used in formal settings, but then, in formal settings you’re also not supposed to point out that “oh gosh it’s windy today” isn’t exactly breaking news). “_¡Pues claro!_” would also be used in Spain. “_Neta_” wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/33 "2016-07-06T15:45:39Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > BTW, the origin of “duh” is the Warner Brothers cartoons (Bugs Bunny, etc.) that parodied Grapes of Wrath. The “duh” sound was made by the Lenny character. I thin you mean Of Mice and Men. _Duh._ ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/34 "2016-07-06T23:35:02Z")
In Yiddish, _oy vey_ would work. Of course, _oy vey_ can be used to mean anything and everything. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924/35 "2016-07-07T00:23:39Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Japanese largely doesn’t have sarcasm. They’d just call you an idiot (baka) or let it slide. +1, with possibly a whack to the back of the head depending on circumstances. (Unfortunately doesn’t just happen in comedy; I’ve seen it with co-workers in real life) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924.md?page=1)