Tout – Adjective

Tout - French adjective
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Tout, toute, tous, toutes

The French word tout can be used as two different kinds of adjectives. It has four different forms and two pronunciations:

    singular   plural
masculine   tout [tu]   tous [tu]
feminine   toute [tut]   toutes [tut]

[IPA pronunciation]

 Note that the masculine plural adjective is tous, not touts. The latter is only a plural noun – lesson coming soon.

Like all French adjectives, tout modifies nouns. It can be two different types of adjective.

1) Descriptive adjective

As a descriptive adjective, tout has meanings like "all" and "entire."

Par exemple…

tout le monde   everyone (literally, "all the world")
tout le reste   all the rest
tout le secret   the entire secret
tous les secrets   all the secrets
toute la journée   all day

2) Indefinite adjective

As an indefinite adjective, tout means "any" or "every":

à tout moment   at any moment
pour tout renseignement …   for any information …
toute trace de leur présence   every trace of their presence
tous les jours   every day
tous les 36 du mois   once in a blue moon (lit, "every 36th of the month")

 Leçon : Jour vs journée

Both types of tout adjective can be used in conjunction with other adjectives.

pendant tout ce temps   (for) this whole time
toute ma vie   my whole life
toutes ces décisions   all of these decisions
tous les trois jours   every three days
toutes taxes comprises   including tax

 Tout can also be an adverb, noun, or pronoun.

 Related lessons

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Tout as an adjective

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