Ce sont vos filles ?
To ask "are these your daughters?" in French, use Ce sont vos filles ?
This phrase is used to ask if the girls present are the children of the person you are addressing. The word filles means "daughters."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "These are your daughters?" where Ce sont means "These/They are" and vos filles means "your daughters."
Which one should you use?
You should use Ce sont tes filles? if you are speaking to a single person you know well or a child, as tes is the informal possessive adjective for the 2nd person singular. In contrast, vos filles uses the formal possessive adjective vos for the 2nd person plural.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canadian French, you may hear the question phrased as C'est-tu tes filles?
How does it change in a sentence?
A standard way to form this question in French is to add Est-ce que to the beginning of the phrase, resulting in Est-ce que ce sont vos filles?
Did you know?
- In some contexts, ma fille is used as a term of endearment for any young woman, similar to 'honey' or 'dear', regardless of whether she is the speaker's actual daughter.
- The word ce in the phrase traces its roots back to the Vulgar Latin *ecce ille, which was used to point something out, similar to saying 'look, that one'.
- In casual conversation, French speakers often replace the plural ce sont with the singular c'est, saying C'est vos filles ? despite the plural subject.
Examples in context
- Dites-moi, ce sont vos filles ?Tell me, are these your daughters?
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are at a park during a family gathering.
- HugoCe sont vos filles ?Are these your daughters?
- ManonOui, ce sont les miennes.Yes, they are mine.
- HugoElles sont très mignonnes.They are very cute.
- ManonMerci beaucoup, Hugo.Thank you very much, Hugo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ce, vos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
