Quand ta mère critique ton nouveau chez-toi

What does “jamais de la vie” mean in French?

The daughter says her mom once gave her the dishes. The mom replies sharply: “Jamais de la vie!” Word for word this is “never in life,” but nobody means it that way. It is a strong, emotional “No way!” or “Not a chance!” You use it to deny something firmly or to refuse a request. It carries more feeling than a plain “non,” so it fits moments where someone is very sure they are right.

In the clip the daughter says the dishes were a gift: “Ah ça tu me les avais donné aussi.” The mother fires back: “Jamais de la vie!” — meaning “No way I ever gave you those.” The phrase joins jamais (never) + de la vie (of life). Together they form one fixed exclamation; you do not change the words. It works two ways. As a flat denial: someone claims you did something, and you say “Jamais de la vie!” to mean “I never did that.” As a firm refusal: someone asks you to do something you will not do, and the phrase means “Absolutely not.” A softer alternative is “jamais” alone, or “pas question” (out of the question). But “jamais de la vie” is stronger and more dramatic, which is why it fits an argument. It is common in France and in Québec, in speech far more than in writing.