What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Tu (you), veux (want), coucher (to lie down/to sleep), avec (with) and moi (me).
Which one should you use?
While coucher avec is the standard way to express sexual intercourse, using dormir avec (to sleep with) is a softer, more euphemistic way to suggest sharing a bed, though it can still imply sex depending on context. You might also use Tu veux passer la nuit avec moi? to say "Do you want to spend the night with me?" informally.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form Tu veux coucher avec moi ? is informal because of the use of Tu, making it a direct way to address someone typically in a romantic or sexual context between peers. For a formal way to ask, you can use Est-ce que vous voulez dormir avec moi?
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase more formal or to address more than one person, you can replace Tu veux with Voulez-vous, as seen in Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ?
Did you know?
- The word coucher is a doublet of the English word 'colloquy', meaning both share the same Latin ancestor.
- While Tu is used for peers, using the formal vous in this specific phrase can sometimes be used ironically or to create a playful, teasing distance between lovers.
- In French, the word coucher is used for both the act of lying down to sleep and the act of having sex, whereas dormir refers specifically to the unconscious state of sleep.
Examples in context
- Est-ce que tu veux coucher avec moi ?Do you want to sleep with me?
- Dis-moi, tu veux coucher avec moi ?Tell me, do you want to sleep with me?
Example conversation
A man and a woman are talking alone at a bar late at night.
- GabrielJe t'aime beaucoup, Léa.I like you a lot, Léa.
- LéaC'est gentil, Gabriel.That's kind, Gabriel.
- GabrielTu veux coucher avec moi ?Do you want to sleep with me?
- LéaNon, pas ce soir.No, not tonight.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avec, coucher, moi, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
