Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| pas touche ! |
| bas les pattes ! |
In French, 'hands off' can vary depending on whether you are protecting an object or demanding that someone stop touching your person. Pas touche ! is a general way to say 'don't touch' or 'hands off' regarding an object or a game. Bas les pattes ! is used more aggressively when someone is physically touching you or an animal, or when you want someone to get away from you. Relatedly, if you wish to express the concept of not interfering with others' decisions or actions, you can use the adjective laissez-faire.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bas les pattes ! literally translates to 'down the paws!'
Which one should you use?
Pas touche ! is a general command used for objects or during games, whereas bas les pattes ! is more aggressive and directed at someone physically touching you or an animal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Bas les pattes ! is an informal, blunt or even rude way to tell someone to stop touching you. For more formal situations, you can use Ne touchez pas to mean 'do not touch' or S'il vous plaît, ne pas toucher to mean 'please do not touch'. In informal settings, you might also say Touche pas à ça! for 'don't touch that' or Lâche ça! to mean 'let go of that' or 'drop it'.
Related words
When do people say it?
Pas touche ! is frequently used by children during games to indicate that an object is off-limits.
Did you know?
- In the phrase pas touche !, the word pas originally meant 'a step'. It was once used to say something was not done 'by a single step' before it evolved into a general word for 'not'.
- Using bas les pattes ! is an example of 'animalization', where a person's hands are referred to as pattes (paws). This intentionally strips the person of their humanity to signal extreme annoyance.
- The phrase pas touche ! omits the word ne, which is the standard first half of a negative in French. This shortened form is a common linguistic trait in spoken French to make commands sound faster and more direct.
Examples in context
- Bas les pattes !Get your hands off me.This sentence shows how to use bas les pattes ! when telling someone to get their hands off you.Tatoeba #1850108 by sacredceltic, translation #1849373 by CK
- S'il vous plaît, ne pas toucher aux œuvres d'art.Please do not touch the artworks.
- Lâche ça, c'est fragile!Let go of that, it's fragile!
- Pas touche ! C'est fragile.Don't touch! It is fragile.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo is painting a picture and Chloé tries to touch it.
- HugoPas touche ! C'est pas fini.Hands off! It is not finished.
- ChloéDésolée, je voulais juste voir.Sorry, I just wanted to see.
- HugoFais attention à la peinture.Be careful with the paint.
- ChloéD'accord, je ne touche plus.Okay, I won't touch it anymore.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hands off” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bas, les, pas, touche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
