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For example, in English, if there is a game I dislike, I can call it trash:

Fortnite is trash

However, I tried Google Translating this to French, I get:

Fortnite est une poubelle

This does not really make sense, because poubelle means trash can. I am not calling Fortnite a trash can, I am calling Fornite trash.

What is the correct term to use to express disapproval by calling something trash in French?

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  • For Francophones, note also that "trash" in this usage is highly marked as youth register
    – Luke Sawczak ♦
    Sep 18, 2022 at 19:13
  • This is how I would say it: « c'est nul » or, more likely « c'est nullissime » or « c'est nase » (ou naze) or « c'est pourri ton jeu» or «c'est bidon! » or « ça vaut pas un clou ce jeu à la con! » or as jilliagre suggested « c'est de la daube » (the latter was trendy in my generation, it's probably a bit passé now.
    – PatrickT
    Sep 19, 2022 at 5:57
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    Note that all of these derogatory terms are regional. You would definintely never hear nullissime, naze, pourri, bidon, "pas un clou", "à la con" or daube in Québec, for instance.
    – Domino
    Sep 19, 2022 at 15:50

2 Answers 2

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The most common way to say it would be:

Fortnite, c'est de la merde. (can be C'est de la marde or Ça vaut pas de la marde in Québec).

otherwise:

Fortnite, c'est de la daube. (Possibly considered old-fashioned by younger generations.)

We wouldn't use or understand the usual "trash" translations (poubelle or ordure) in that context.

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  • « c'est de la merde » is ruder than "it's trash". I say trash all the time, I never say merde... There is also a « quel jeu merdique » variation.
    – PatrickT
    Sep 19, 2022 at 5:53
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    @Patrick Tu dois être la seule personne parlant français à ne jamais dire merde... :-)
    – jlliagre
    Sep 19, 2022 at 6:47
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    ce n'est pas impossible!
    – PatrickT
    Sep 19, 2022 at 7:12
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    Isn't that saying "Fortnite is shit"? (which is a common way of saying it in english, just significantly more vulgar)
    – Crazymoomin
    Sep 19, 2022 at 13:28
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    @hunter Pas vraiment, je n'ai jamais entendu C'est une ordure pour autre chose qu'une personne.
    – jlliagre
    Sep 19, 2022 at 21:04
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Bonjour, here are some other sentences one could hear or read :

  • Fortnite, c'est nul.
  • Fortnite, c'est (tout) pourri.
  • Fortnite, c'est moisi.

this one is used by younger people:

  • Fortnite, c'est tout pété.

this one is quite vulgar but widely used :

  • Fortnite, c'est à chier.
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    It's worth noting that regardless of the adjective used to degrade something, the construction "X est Y" (X is Y) seems less common in French than "X, c'est Y" (X, that's Y).
    – Domino
    Sep 19, 2022 at 15:49

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