sois toi-même
To say "be yourself" in French, use sois toi-même.
This phrase is used to encourage someone to act naturally and honestly according to their own personality rather than pretending to be someone else.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative of être (to be), the stressed pronoun toi (you) and the reflexive pronoun même (self/same).
Which one should you use?
While sois toi-même focuses on your identity, it is distinct from reste toi-même, which means "stay yourself" and implies that you should not change.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form sois toi-même uses the singular imperative and is used when speaking to one person you know well or a child. If you are speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people, use soyez vous-même instead.
Did you know?
- French uses the same word même for both 'self' and 'even', as in moi-même for 'myself' and même les enfants for 'even the children'.
- In a theatrical context, if someone is told to sois toi-même, it might be a critique of their performance, suggesting they are being too melodramatic or not grounded in reality.
- The French phrase sois toi-même is closely linked to the concept of l'authenticité, a philosophical ideal deeply rooted in French intellectual history and literature.
Examples in context
- Sois toi-même.Be yourself.Tatoeba #1491571 by sacredceltic, translation #1490941 by BraveSentry
- Sois toi-même !Be yourself!Tatoeba #691065 by U2FS, translation #438573 by FeuDRenais
- Ne change pas à cause de quelqu'un. Sois toi-même et la bonne personne t'aimera comme tu es.Don't change because of someone. Be yourself and the right one will like you as you are.This example shows how to use sois toi-même when advising someone not to change for others.Tatoeba #10689127 by Micsmithel, translation #2686132 by shekitten
- Apprends à être toi-même.Learn to be yourself
- Exprime ta vraie nature.Express your true nature
- Soyez vous-même lors de l'entretien.Be yourself during the interview
- Reste fidèle à toi-même, peu importe la situation.Stay true to yourself, no matter the situation
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma is giving Gabriel advice before a first date.
- EmmaNe stresse pas trop pour ce rendez-vous.Don't stress too much about this date.
- GabrielJe veux vraiment faire une bonne impression.I really want to make a good impression.
- EmmaJuste sois toi-même, Gabriel.Just be yourself, Gabriel.
- GabrielTu as raison, merci Emma.You are right, thanks Emma.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
