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One tiny word, four forms, three jobs. This guide explains Tout, Toute, Tous, Toutes in French with clear rules, real examples and practice for every CEFR level. For instance: « tout le temps » — all the time.
One tiny word, four forms, three jobs
| Forme | Exemple | Traduction |
|---|---|---|
| tout le | tout le temps | all the time |
| toute la | toute la journée | the whole day |
| tous les | tous les jours | every day |
| toutes les | toutes les semaines | every week |
| Exemple | Traduction | Prononciation |
|---|---|---|
| Tout va bien. | Everything is fine. | [tu] |
| Ils sont tous là. | They are ALL here. | [tus] — the s is heard ! |
| Merci pour tout. | Thanks for everything. | [tu] |
| Exemple | Traduction |
|---|---|
| Il est tout content. | He is very happy. |
| Elle habite tout près. | She lives very close. |
| Elle est toute contente. | (exception : before feminine consonant) |
💡 Les 3 réflexes
Before le/la/les → adjective, agree : tous les jours, toute la nuit.
Pronoun tous (= everyone/all of them) pronounces its S : ils sont tous [tus] là.
Common combos to memorise : tout le monde (everyone), tous les deux (both), pas du tout (not at all), tout à fait (exactly).
📚 Free French lessons at learnfrench.co
every day = ___ les jours (masculine plural)
tous
the whole night = ___ la nuit (feminine)
toute
« Ils sont tous là » — pronounce the s ? (pronoun!)
Yes — [tus]
not at all = pas ___ ___ (fixed combo)
du tout
Translate into French: « Is everyone here? » (translation)
Tout le monde est là ?
Translate into French: « I work every day except Sunday. » (translation)
Je travaille tous les jours sauf le dimanche.
Translate into French: « Not at all, quite the opposite! » (translation)
Pas du tout, au contraire !
Go further: get the full picture in our guide 7 common French mistakes English speakers make.
One tiny word, four forms, three jobs. Follow the rules and patterns in the lesson above, and practise with real sentences like « tout le temps » (all the time).
Yes — « tout le temps » means « all the time », and « toute la journée » means « the whole day ». The lesson above has many more examples with explanations.
This topic is introduced around B1 and refined at higher levels — pick your level from the links at the top of the page. You can also drill it with the interactive exercises and games below.
Games built from this exact page — turn what you just read into play:
5 quick questions on « Tout, Toute, Tous, Toutes » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →