chais pas
Chais pas (also written chépa) is how 'je ne sais pas' actually sounds in everyday speech: the ne disappears, and 'je sais' fuses into 'chais'. Textbooks teach four words; French people say two. Learning to hear chais pas is a small rite of passage toward understanding real spoken French.
Where you'll hear it
Mathéo
Emma, est-ce que tu crois au coup de foudre ?
E, do you believe in love at first sight?
Emma
Oh.. chais pas. Je suis pas certain. Un de mes amis dit que c'est une sensation similaire à celle d'être beurré, d'être ivre. T’es complètement submergé par le sentiment.
Oh, I don't know. I'm not sure. A friend of mine says it's a feeling similar to being drunk. You're completely overwhelmed by the feeling.
Mathéo
C'est bien ça, je pense. Pour moi, c'est une réaction immédiate, généralement d'abord sur l'apparence d'une personne, comment elle est habillée, comment elle bouge, sa voix, et comment elle te regarde.
That's right, I think. For me, it's an immediate reaction, generally based on a person's appearance, the way they're dressed, the way they move, their voice and the way they look at you.
Emma
Je comprends ce que tu veux dire, mais pour moi.. en fin de compte.. ce n'est pas l'amour - pas le genre d'amour qui est nécessaire pour un mariage à long terme.
I understand what you mean, but for me... at the end of the day... that's not love - not the kind of love that's necessary for a long-term marriage.
How it shows up
— On mange où ce soir ? — Chais pas, toi ?
— Where are we eating tonight? — Dunno, you?
Chais pas quoi te dire...
I don't know what to tell you...
Chais pas encore si je viens samedi.
I don't know yet if I'm coming on Saturday.
Related expressions
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