What does n'importe mean in French?

On its own it means it doesn't matter, from the verb importer. In practice it almost always appears with a question word attached: n'importe qui, anyone; n'importe quoi, anything; n'importe où, anywhere; n'importe quand, any time.

What does c'est n'importe quoi mean?

Literally it's anything at all, and in use it means that's nonsense or that's ridiculous. It is a very common spoken reaction to a claim you find absurd: mais c'est n'importe quoi, ce qu'il raconte. Tu dis n'importe quoi is the version aimed at a person.

When do I use n'importe quel instead of n'importe quoi?

N'importe quel goes in front of a noun and agrees with it, while n'importe quoi stands alone. Compare n'importe quel livre, any book, with lis n'importe quoi, read anything. If a noun follows, you need quel.

What's the difference between n'importe qui and quelqu'un?

Quelqu'un is a specific person you cannot name; n'importe qui means whichever person, it makes no difference. J'attends quelqu'un means I'm waiting for someone in particular, while n'importe qui ferait mieux means anybody at all would do better.

Is n'importe quoi informal?

The literal use is neutral and appears in writing without trouble: il signerait n'importe quoi. The dismissive use, c'est n'importe quoi, is conversational and best kept to speech and informal messages.

French grammar · Intermediate

N'importe in French: Anyone, Anything, Anywhere, and Any Old How

Written by Camille Laurent, Lead French Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

N'importe is a frozen phrase meaning it doesn't matter, and it combines with a question word to build the French equivalents of anyone, anything, anywhere, and any time. N'importe quoi has a second life in speech as a dismissal, roughly nonsense or rubbish.

Tu peux m'appeler n'importe quand.

You can call me any time.

What it is

N'importe is literally it does not matter, from the old impersonal verb importer. Bolt a question word onto it and you get a phrase meaning that category, whichever one you like: n'importe qui, whichever person; n'importe où, whichever place. The verb never conjugates, so the whole expression stays fixed no matter what tense the sentence is in.

Choisis n'importe quoi, n'importe où, n'importe quand. — Choose anything, anywhere, any time.

How to spot it

Work out which question word the English needs, then put n'importe in front of it. Anyone is who, anything is what, anywhere is where.

N'importe qui peut le faire. — Anyone can do it.
Il mange n'importe quoi. — He'll eat anything.
Assieds-toi n'importe où. — Sit anywhere you like.
Prends n'importe quel stylo. — Take any pen.

Before a noun you need n'importe quel, not n'importe quoi. N'importe quoi never touches a noun.

N'importe Quick Reference

N'importe plus each question word

Expression	Meaning	Example
n'importe qui	anyone at all	Demande à n'importe qui — Ask anyone
n'importe quoi	anything at all	Il croit n'importe quoi — He believes anything
n'importe où	anywhere	Pose-le n'importe où — Put it down anywhere
n'importe quand	any time	Viens n'importe quand — Come any time
n'importe comment	any old how	C'est écrit n'importe comment — It's written any old how
n'importe quel + noun	any (whichever)	n'importe quel jour — any day
n'importe lequel	any one of them	Prends n'importe lequel — Take whichever one

Common N'importe Examples in French

The family in use:

People, Things, Places, Times

N'importe qui te le dira.: Anyone will tell you that.
Ne signe pas n'importe quoi.: Don't sign just anything.
On peut se garer n'importe où ici.: You can park anywhere around here.
Passe me voir n'importe quand.: Drop in and see me any time.

These four cover most of what you will ever need. Each one works as a complete noun phrase on its own.

N'importe Quel Before a Noun

N'importe quel médecin te dirait la même chose.: Any doctor would tell you the same thing.
Choisis n'importe quelle couleur.: Pick any colour.
À n'importe quelle heure du jour ou de la nuit.: At any hour of the day or night.
N'importe quels documents feront l'affaire.: Any documents at all will do.

Quel is an adjective here, so it agrees with the noun: quel, quelle, quels, quelles.

N'importe Quoi as a Dismissal

C'est n'importe quoi !: That's rubbish!
Tu racontes n'importe quoi.: You're talking nonsense.
Il fait n'importe quoi depuis ce matin.: He's been messing about all morning.
Arrête de dire n'importe quoi.: Stop talking nonsense.

This use is extremely common in speech and carries real irritation. Nothing in the individual words predicts it.

Pas N'importe: Not Just Anyone

Ce n'est pas n'importe qui.: He's not just anybody.
Ce n'est pas n'importe quel vin.: This isn't just any old wine.
On ne peut pas raconter n'importe quoi.: You can't just say anything you like.

Negating n'importe turns indifference into the opposite: this one is special, so not any old one will do.

How N'importe Is Built

Once you see the frozen verb inside it, the whole family becomes predictable rather than idiomatic.

N'importe Is a Verb That Stopped Moving

It comes from the impersonal importer, to matter, negated: it does not matter. That is why the ne appears with no pas, and why the form never changes tense or person. You say j'y suis allé n'importe quand, not n'importait quand.

Elle est capable de partir n'importe quand.

She's capable of leaving at any moment.

Frozen: always n'importe.

The Question Word Sets the Category

Whatever the question word asks about, n'importe declares indifference within that category. Où is places, so n'importe où is any place; comment is manner, so n'importe comment is any manner.

Tu peux le ranger n'importe où.

You can put it away anywhere.

Pick the question word first.

Only Quel and Lequel Agree

Qui, quoi, où, quand, and comment are invariable. Quel and lequel are the two that change shape, because they are tied to a noun: n'importe quelle raison, n'importe lesquelles.

N'importe quelle excuse fera l'affaire.

Any excuse will do.

quel agrees, quoi never does.

It Means Indifference, Not Vagueness

Quelqu'un and quelque chose mean a particular person or thing you cannot identify. N'importe qui and n'importe quoi mean it makes no difference which. Je cherche quelqu'un is I'm looking for someone specific; je prendrais n'importe qui means anybody would do.

Je ne cherche pas n'importe qui, je cherche quelqu'un de fiable.

I'm not looking for just anyone, I'm looking for someone reliable.

Unknown → quelque; indifferent → n'importe.

The Whole Phrase Works Like a Noun

N'importe qui and n'importe quoi can be the subject, the object, or the complement of a preposition, exactly like a noun. That is why avec n'importe qui and à n'importe quelle heure are both fine.

Ne parle pas de ça avec n'importe qui.

Don't discuss that with just anyone.

Slots in wherever a noun would.

Common Mistakes with N'importe

Incorrect: Prends n'importe quel chose. — Take anything.

Correct: Prends n'importe quoi. — Take anything.

Quel needs a real noun after it, and chose here is only standing in for the idea of a thing. For anything with no noun, French uses n'importe quoi.

Incorrect: Viens à n'importe heure. — Come at any time.

Correct: Viens à n'importe quelle heure. — Come at any time.

N'importe cannot attach directly to a noun. A question word has to come in between, and before a noun that word is quel, agreeing with heure.

Incorrect: N'importe quelle jour me convient. — Any day suits me.

Correct: N'importe quel jour me convient. — Any day suits me.

Jour is masculine, so the form is quel. The e of quelle is a reflex from heure and journée, which are feminine.

Incorrect: Il y a n'importe qui à la porte. — There's someone at the door.

Correct: Il y a quelqu'un à la porte. — There's someone at the door.

N'importe qui means it makes no difference who, which is not what you mean about a person actually standing there. An unidentified but real person is quelqu'un.

N'importe Quoi and N'importe Comment in Real Speech

Two members of the family carry a judgement that the dictionary translation hides completely.

Dismissing what someone has said

C'est n'importe quoi is one of the standard French ways of calling something nonsense, and dire or raconter n'importe quoi means to talk rubbish.

C'est n'importe quoi, cette histoire.: That story is complete nonsense.
Tu dis vraiment n'importe quoi.: You're really talking rubbish.
Les journaux racontent n'importe quoi.: The papers print any old nonsense.

It is informal but not rude. Among friends it lands somewhere near that's ridiculous.

N'importe comment: carelessly

As well as in any manner, n'importe comment means done with no care at all, which is nearly always a criticism.

Il s'habille n'importe comment.: He dresses any old how.
Le rapport a été rédigé n'importe comment.: The report was written carelessly.
Ne réponds pas n'importe comment.: Don't just answer at random.

The related noun phrase faire les choses n'importe comment means to do things slapdash.

N'importe quel against n'importe lequel

Use n'importe quel when the noun is present and n'importe lequel when it has already been mentioned.

N'importe quel modèle fera l'affaire.: Any model will do.
Voici trois modèles ; prends n'importe lequel.: Here are three models; take whichever one you like.
Écris à n'importe laquelle de ces adresses.: Write to any one of these addresses.

Lequel absorbs a preposition where quel does not: à n'importe laquelle, but auquel is avoided in this construction.

N'importe FAQs

What does n'importe mean in French?: On its own it means it doesn't matter, from the verb importer. In practice it almost always appears with a question word attached: n'importe qui, anyone; n'importe quoi, anything; n'importe où, anywhere; n'importe quand, any time.
What does c'est n'importe quoi mean?: Literally it's anything at all, and in use it means that's nonsense or that's ridiculous. It is a very common spoken reaction to a claim you find absurd: mais c'est n'importe quoi, ce qu'il raconte. Tu dis n'importe quoi is the version aimed at a person.
When do I use n'importe quel instead of n'importe quoi?: N'importe quel goes in front of a noun and agrees with it, while n'importe quoi stands alone. Compare n'importe quel livre, any book, with lis n'importe quoi, read anything. If a noun follows, you need quel.
What's the difference between n'importe qui and quelqu'un?: Quelqu'un is a specific person you cannot name; n'importe qui means whichever person, it makes no difference. J'attends quelqu'un means I'm waiting for someone in particular, while n'importe qui ferait mieux means anybody at all would do better.
Is n'importe quoi informal?: The literal use is neutral and appears in writing without trouble: il signerait n'importe quoi. The dismissive use, c'est n'importe quoi, is conversational and best kept to speech and informal messages.