consulter ses e-mails
To check email in French is to say consulter ses e-mails.
The phrase is used to describe the act of looking at one's inbox to see if any new messages have arrived. While the full term is e-mails, it is very common in spoken French to shorten this to mails. You may also use Voir mes messages to refer to the act of checking one's messages.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb consulter literally means 'to consult' or 'to look at/examine', which is the standard way in French to express examining a document or a digital inbox.
Which one should you use?
The choice of phrase depends on your specific intent and the setting. Use vérifier ses e-mails if you are specifically checking for a particular piece of information or confirming that a message was received. For a more casual tone, you can use regarder ses mails or the highly informal Jeter un coup d'œil à mes emails, which means 'to take a glance at my emails'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase consulter ses e-mails, the possessive adjective ses is used to mean 'one's' or 'his/her', reflecting the general habit of checking one's own messages.
Did you know?
- The French government has officially promoted the term courriel as a patriotic alternative to e-mail to protect the language from English influence.
- In Quebec, you will almost exclusively hear consulter ses courriels rather than the anglicized e-mails used in France.
- The word consulter stems from the Latin cōnsultāre, which originally meant 'to deliberate' or 'to take counsel'.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, je dois vérifier mes emails avant notre réunion.Excuse me, I need to check my emails before our meeting.
- Je vais consulter mon courrier électronique pour trouver les informations demandées.I will consult my email to find the requested information.
- Attends une minute, je veux regarder mes emails rapidement.Wait a minute, I want to quickly check my emails.
- Je jette un coup d'œil à mes emails tous les matins.I take a glance at my emails every morning.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries consulter, ses, CC BY-SA 4.0.
