French Phrase
Pas grand-chose, comme d'hab.
Meaning
This phrase is a common, informal way to answer the question 'What's up?' or 'What are you doing?'. 'Grand-chose' means much, and 'comme d'hab' is a shortened version of 'comme d'habitude'. It conveys a sense of routine or a lack of major news in one's life.
When to use
Use this in casual settings with friends, family, or colleagues you know well. It's the perfect response when someone asks 'Quoi de neuf ?' (What's new?) and you have nothing special to report.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Pasgrand-chose,commed'hab
Grand-chose
Used almost exclusively in negative sentences to mean 'not much' or 'not many things'.
Comme d'hab
An apocope (shortening) of 'comme d'habitude'. It's very common in spoken French.
🗨In Conversation
Salut ! Quoi de neuf ?
Hi! What's new?
Pas grand-chose, comme d'hab.
Not much, as usual.
✕Common Mistakes
Pas beaucoup de chose, comme d'habitude.
While grammatically possible, 'grand-chose' is the fixed idiomatic expression for 'not much' in this context.
Rien, comme d'hab.
'Rien' (nothing) is a bit more blunt; 'pas grand-chose' sounds more natural and conversational.
↔Alternatives
Rien de spécial.
Nothing special.
La routine.
The usual routine.
Comme d'habitude.
As usual (full version).
Cultural Tip
French speakers love contractions in informal speech. Shortening 'd'habitude' to 'd'hab' is extremely common. Using these shortcuts makes you sound much more like a native speaker and less like a textbook.