tout/tu/
pronoun / adverb / noun / determiner · A1 · Frequency 108
pronouncommon
Meanings
everything
Used as a pronoun to refer to all things, typically in a general sense.
all (people or things)
Used as a pronoun to refer to all people or things, emphasizing totality.
Examples
Tout est prêt pour le départ.
Everything is ready for the departure.
Elle a tout rangé avant l'arrivée des invités.
She put everything away before the guests arrived.
Tout peut changer avec le temps.
Everything can change with time.
Collocations
- tout est possibleeverything is possible
- tout le mondeeveryone
- tout à coupall of a sudden
Common mistakes
Tout les élèves sont arrivés.
Tous les élèves sont arrivés.
When referring to people and preceding a determiner (e.g., definite article, possessive adjective), the masculine plural form 'tous' must be used, not 'tout'; 'tout' is grammatically incorrect here as it fails to fulfill the required pronominal/adjectival function in this context.
Related words
adverbmasculine
Meanings
totally; completely
Used to intensify adjectives or adverbs.
however; no matter how
Used to introduce concessive clauses.
Examples
Tout autour de la maison, des arbres formaient une haie naturelle.
All around the house, trees formed a natural hedge.
La salle est tout éclairée par les lampes du plafond.
The room is completely lit by the ceiling lamps.
Tout fatigué qu'il soit, il terminera son rapport ce soir.
However tired he may be, he will finish his report tonight.
Collocations
- tout à faitcompletely; absolutely
- tout de mêmenevertheless; all the same
Common mistakes
tout de fait
tout à fait
The fixed adverbial expression is tout à fait; it requires the preposition à, not de.
Related words
synonymentièremententirely
synonymcomplètementcompletely
antonympartiellementpartially
nounmasculine
Meanings
whole, entirety, total
Used as a noun to denote the whole or entirety, often referring to abstract or concrete entities as a whole.
Examples
Le tout doit rester cohérent du début à la fin.
The whole must remain coherent from beginning to end.
J'ai vérifié chaque pièce avant d'assembler le tout.
I checked every piece before assembling the whole.
Le tout représente une dépense importante pour la famille.
The total represents a significant expense for the family.
Collocations
- le toutthe whole
Related words
synonymtotalitétotality, entirety
- antonymriena nothing
determinermasculine
Meanings
all, every (used as a determiner)
Used as a determiner to modify nouns, indicating the whole or entirety.
completely, very (used as an adverb)
Used as an adverb to modify adjectives, adverbs, or verbs, indicating degree.
Examples
Tout le quartier a entendu l'alarme.
The whole neighborhood heard the alarm.
Tout étudiant doit présenter sa carte à l'entrée.
Every student must show their card at the entrance.
J'ai rangé tout mon matériel avant de partir.
I put away all my equipment before leaving.
Collocations
- tout le mondeeveryone
- tout le tempsall the time
- tout à faitcompletely, absolutely
Related words
Grammar note
As a determiner, ‘tout’ agrees in gender and number: masculine singular ‘tout’, feminine singular ‘toute’, masculine plural ‘tous’, feminine plural ‘toutes’; as an adverb, it is invariable.
nounmasculine
Meanings
whole, entirety, total
Used as a noun to denote the whole or entirety, often referring to abstract or concrete entities as a whole.
Examples
En philosophie, les touts ne se réduisent pas à la somme de leurs parties.
In philosophy, wholes cannot be reduced to the sum of their parts.
Le chercheur compare plusieurs touts plutôt que leurs éléments isolés.
The researcher compares several wholes rather than their isolated elements.
Pour comprendre ces touts, l'équipe étudie les relations entre leurs composants.
To understand these wholes, the team studies the relationships between their components.