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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] |
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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