quoi dire

what to say

→ quoi
phrase Common #8,994
what to say Often used after verbs such as savoir (to know) to express not knowing what to say.
FR: Elle ne savait pas quoi dire.
EN: She didn't know what to say.

Je ne savais pas quoi dire.

I didn't know what to say.

Je ne sais pas quoi dire non plus.

I don't know what to say either.

— Les Enfants du temps (2019)

Tom n'a pas su quoi dire après.

Tom didn't know what to say afterward.

Personne ne savait vraiment quoi dire.

No one really knew what to say.

Nous ne savions pas quoi dire.

We didn't know what to say.

Il ne savait quoi dire.

He didn't know what to say.

Je sais quoi dire.

I know what to say.

Le plus dur, c'est de décider quoi dire et quoi taire.

The hardest part is deciding what to say and what to keep quiet.

— Terminator (1984)

Tout à coup, personne ne sait plus quoi dire.

Suddenly, no one knows what to say.

Je te dirai exactement quoi dire.

I'll tell you exactly what to say.

En fait, je ne sais quoi dire.

Actually, I don't know what to say.

— Y tu mamá también (2001)

Ne sachant quoi dire, il demeura silencieux.

Not knowing what to say, he remained silent.

Je ne savais pas du tout quoi dire.

I had no idea what to say.

Tom ne savait pas quoi dire ensuite.

Tom didn’t know what to say next.

Tu sais quoi dire, hein ?

You know what to say, huh?

— Le Syndicat du crime (1986)

Ne sachant pas quoi dire je suis restée silencieuse.

Not knowing what to say, I remained silent.

Je lui dirai quoi dire à la réunion.

I'll tell him what to say at the meeting.

Martino ne savait pas quoi dire.

Martino didn't know what to say.

Vous savez quoi dire à la principale.

You know what to say to the principal.

— Picnic (1955)

Je ne sais même plus quoi dire.

I don’t even know what to say anymore.

— Andhadhun (2018)

Je sais vraiment pas quoi dire.

I really don't know what to say.

— Plus fort que moi (2025)

Tom savait exactement quoi dire.

Tom knew exactly what to say.

Tom ne sait pas quoi dire.

Tom doesn't know what to say.

Je vais vous dire quoi dire.

I’m going to tell you what to say.

Nous ne savions quoi dire.

We didn't know what to say.

Elle veut lui envoyer un message, mais elle ne sait pas quoi dire.

She wants to send him a message, but she doesn’t know what to say.

Je sais plus quoi dire !

I don't know what to say anymore!

— Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Je sais que j'aurais dû dire quelque chose mais je ne savais pas quoi dire.

I know I should have said something, but I didn’t know what to say.

Je ne savais quoi dire devant une si belle fille.

I didn't know what to say in front of such a beautiful girl.

— Mon cœur est déjà pris (1999)

Je ne sais pas quoi dire, Sebastian.

I don't know what to say, Sebastian.

— Tár (2022)

C'est idiot, je sais pas quoi dire.

It's silly, I don't know what to say.

— Caché (2005)

Bah, au bout d'un an, je savais plus quoi dire.

Well, after a year, I didn't know what to say anymore.

— A Bad Son (1980)

Quand vous ne savez pas quoi dire, vous touchez votre front.

When you don't know what to say, you touch your forehead.

— Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019)

Je ne sais même pas quoi dire, là.

I don't even know what to say right now.

Je ne savais pas quoi dire d'autre.

I didn’t know what else to say.

Comme il ne savait pas quoi dire, il est resté silencieux.

Since he didn't know what to say, he remained silent.

Ne sachant pas quoi dire, il est resté silencieux.

Not knowing what to say, he remained silent.

Tom n'a pas répondu pas car il ne savait pas quoi dire.

Tom didn’t answer because he didn’t know what to say.

Tom ne répondit pas car il ne savait pas quoi dire.

Tom didn't answer because he didn't know what to say.

Je sais pas quoi dire.

I don't know what to say.

— Scream 7 (2026)

Je ne sais jamais quoi dire.

I never know what to say.

Je ne sais ni quoi faire ni quoi dire.

I don't know what to do or what to say.

Quoi dire, je ne la connais pas.

What can I say? I don't know her.

— Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996)

Si tu sais pas quoi dire, répète ce que je dis.

If you don’t know what to say, repeat what I say.

— Yolo (2024)

Tom ne savait pas quoi dire à Mary.

Tom didn’t know what to say to Mary.

J'ignore quoi dire à ce sujet.

I don't know what to say about it.

Parce que je sais pas quoi dire.

Because I don't know what to say.

— Dossier 137 (2025)

Je ne sais vraiment pas quoi dire.

I really don't know what to say.

— Des étoiles sur la terre (2007)

Je ne sais pas quoi dire.

I don't know what to say.

— Control (2007)