 |
|
| Share / Tweet / Pin Me! | |
Timely French Expression
| Meanings | just now, a moment ago in a moment, right away |
|
| Literally | all at the time | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[too tah leur] |
| IPA | [tu ta lœʁ] | |
Usage notes: The French expression tout à l’heure is what’s known as a contronym or auto-antonym: it is the opposite of itself. Tout à l’heure indicates a short period of time, whether in the recent past or the near future.
Par exemple…
| Il est parti tout à l’heure. | He just left, He left a moment ago. | |
| Il va partir tout à l’heure. | He’s about to leave, He’s leaving in a moment. |
Abbreviation: à tout, texting: a tt
Semi-synonyms
- à l’instant – a moment ago, just now (used for the past; also means "right now")
- tout de suite – immediately, right away (only used for the future)
The parting expression à tout à l’heure and its informal variation à tout mean "See you soon."
À toute allure, meaning "as fast as one can, at top speed, full tilt," can sound identical to à tout à l’heure to non-native speakers. The vowel sounds in the final syllables are the only difference in pronunciation – here are the IPA symbols:
- [œ] ("eu" in heure)
- [y] ("u" in allure)
En anglais
WWI soldiers deformed à tout à l’heure into "toot-a-loo" when they brought it into English. (Also see ça ne fait rien and tout de suite.)
Related lessons
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!
This free website is created with love and a great deal of work. If you love it, please consider making a 
Practice is the key to improving your French, and just 15 minutes a day on some kind of French activity can make a huge difference. Check out these ideas and draw up your own schedule.
Of the four language skills, many people find that speaking is the most difficult. Here are tips and resources to help you overcome these obstacles in order to practice French as much as you like.
Jouer is a regular -er French verb that can be a bit confusing when it comes time to decide which preposition should follow. Here’s everything you need to know.