donne-le-moi
The English phrase "give it to me" is translated into French as donne-le-moi.
This phrase is used to request that someone hand over a specific object to the speaker.
Which one should you use?
The form donne-le-moi uses the tu conjugation, whereas donnez-le-moi uses the vous conjugation for formal or plural situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun used depends on the gender of the object. If the object being referred to is a feminine noun, the pronoun changes from -le- to -la-, resulting in donne-la-moi. To request someone to pass you an object informally, you can also use Passe-moi le/la/les.
Did you know?
- The verb donner is used in the idiomatic expression donner sur, which means a window or room 'looks out onto' or 'faces' a certain direction.
- When requesting something at a dinner table, the phrase passe-moi is far more common than donne-moi, as 'donner' can imply a permanent gift rather than a temporary hand-over.
- If you were to use a negative command like 'don't give it to me', the pronouns move back to the front of the verb, becoming ne me le donne pas.
Examples in context
- Donne-le-moi tout de suite.Give it to me now.This sentence shows how to add urgency to the request with donne-le-moi.Tatoeba #11580663 by Aiji, translation #3151563 by CK
- « Donne-le-moi ! » « Non ! »"Give it to me." "No!"This sentence provides a simple exchange using donne-le-moi.Tatoeba #6620436 by GB3, translation #6620334 by Hybrid
- Donne-le-moi, s'il te plaît.Give it to me, please.This sentence shows how to make the request more polite using donne-le-moi.Tatoeba #11147341 by lbdx, translation #41825 by CK
- File-moi ça, s'il te plaît!Give me that, please!
- Passe-moi les clefs, s'il te plaît!Pass me the keys, please!
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are in the living room where Gabriel is holding Léa's book.
- LéaDonne-le-moi, Gabriel.Give it to me, Gabriel.
- GabrielTu veux lire ce livre ?Do you want to read this book?
- LéaOui, donne-le-moi.Yes, give it to me.
- GabrielD'accord, le voilà.Okay, here it is.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
