et toi
The English phrase "and you?" is translated into French as et toi.
et toi is a phrase used to ask the same question back to the person you are speaking with.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the conjunction et (and) and the stressed pronoun toi (you).
Which one should you use?
While et toi is used in informal settings, you should use et vous if you are speaking to someone formally, a stranger or a group of people.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, et toé is a regional variation of et toi.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because toi is a stressed pronoun, it is used after the conjunction et to redirect a question, rather than the subject pronoun tu.
Did you know?
- In spoken French, the 't' in et is almost never linked to the next word, unlike most French consonants which usually blend into the following vowel.
- The word et was often written simply as e in Old French, before the spelling was standardized back to the Latin-inspired version with a 't' in the 12th century.
- French is part of a vast family of Romance languages where the word for 'and' is very short, such as e in Italian or y in Spanish.
Examples in context
- Je vais bien, et toi ?I am doing well, and you?
- J'adore le chocolat, et toi ?I love chocolate, and you?
- Je préfère le café, et toi ?I prefer coffee, and you?
Example conversation
Two friends are catching up at a cafe.
- ChloéSalut Gabriel ! Ça va ?Hi Gabriel! How are you?
- GabrielÇa va très bien, merci. Et toi, Chloé ?I'm doing very well, thanks. And you, Chloé?
- ChloéMoi aussi, ça va super.Me too, I'm doing great.
- GabrielTu veux prendre un thé ?Do you want to have a tea?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries et, toi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
