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11 Il n'y a rien à manger

tout​

tout generally translates to "all," "every," or "whole" in English. However, its usage is much more nuanced and varied depending on the context.

Usage​

1. Adjective​

As an adjective, tout agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies:

  • Tout (masculine singular): tout le livre (the whole book)
  • Toute (feminine singular): toute la journée (all day)
  • Tous (masculine plural): tous les hommes (all men)
  • Toutes (feminine plural): toutes les femmes (all women)

2. Pronoun​

As a pronoun, it can mean "everything" or "everyone":

  • Tout est prêt. (Everything is ready.)
  • Tous sont venus. (Everyone came.)

3. Adverb​

As an adverb, it means "completely" or "entirely" and doesn't change form:

  • Elle est tout heureuse. (She is completely happy.)

4. Noun​

It can be used as a noun to mean "everything" or "the whole":

  • Le tout est plus grand que la somme de ses parties. (The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.)

Common Expressions​

tout appears in many French expressions:

  • Pas du tout: Not at all
  • Tout à fait: Absolutely
  • Tout de suite: Right away
  • Tout le monde: Everyone

Pronunciation of tout​

FormPronunciationIPA 1ExampleEnglish Translation
tout (masculine singular)too/tu/Tout le mondeEveryone
toute (feminine singular)toot/tut/Toute la journéeAll day
tous (masculine plural)too (casual)
tooss (formal)
/tu/
/tus/
Tous les hommesAll men
toutes (feminine plural)toot/tut/Toutes les femmesAll women
tout (as adverb)too/tu/Elle est tout heureuseShe is completely happy

Vocabulaire​

motsexplications
placardcupboard
videempty
le besoinneed
- avoir besoin de to need
le légumevegetable
le fromagecheese
le beurrebutter
la crèmecream
le jambonham
la cerisecherry
la pommeapple
le champignonmushroom
la bananebanana
la pomme de terrepotato
quelquesome, a few
- quelques champignons a few mushrooms
- quelqu'un somebody
- quelque chose something
- quelque part somewhere
le laitmilk
fraisfresh
- des œufs frais fresh eggs

Footnotes​

  1. International Phonetic Alphabet ↩