In this video, I explain the expression "il n'y a pas photo" clearly and concisely (in 2 minutes). These little expressions help you learn French quickly and efficiently.

Transcript of the video

Hi everyone, let me know a comment if you are doing well.

I hope you're ready for a new video in this short format where we see an expression.

The expression we're going to see today is: there's no photo.

First of all, I'll explain what this expression means, give you a little context and explain where it comes from. What is the origin of the expression "il n'y a pas photo"?

When we say there's no photo, we mean there's no debate.

It's very clear. We have a choice to make. It's very clear. There's no photo op. You know what you have to do or what you prefer. It's crystal clear. There's no hesitation. Here are two contextual explanations so that you can better understand the expression and use it yourself.

For example, if I'm hesitating between two dresses, I'll ask a friend. Do you prefer the blue dress or the red dress?

She can answer me. There's no photo. Red suits you much better. There's no need to hesitate.

Here's a second bit of context. For example, I can say that working for a multinational or in a small start-up is a no-brainer for me. I prefer to work in a small family team.

There's no hesitation, it's very clear.

I don't know if you've heard, but when we speak, we often say "y a pas" instead of "il n'y a pas".

It's a kind of contraction of the language, it's in the way we speak.

We'll delete the first part, "il n'y", and just keep "y a pas photo".

So, of course, in order to speak correctly in the purest language, you have to say n'y a pas photo. But most people will say "ain't no thang".

But where does this expression come from? The expression actually comes from horse racing.

To keep punters from getting upset because they felt it was their horse that had to win, race organizers even back in the day paid photographers to show which horse came in first.

Sometimes, there was no debate at all, and the horses were far apart. So we'd say there's no photo. That's where the expression comes from.

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