haut les mains !
The English phrase "hands up" can be translated into French as haut les mains ! Wiktionary also lists mains en l'air !
Meaning: surrender! (intj)
Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| haut les mains ! |
| mains en l'air ! |
The phrase is used to demand that someone surrender. Specifically, mains en l'air ! is the standard expression used by police or criminals to demand that a person's hands be visible and raised.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase haut les mains ! literally translates to "high the hands".
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb lever (to raise) to command someone to put their hands up, you use the imperative form Lève for a single person or Levez for multiple people.
Did you know?
- The English word 'haughty' shares a common ancestor with the word haut used in haut les mains !
- In French cinema, the phrase haut les mains ! is often used as a cliché trope to instantly signal a 'film noir' or gangster scene.
- The phrase en l'air is used in many contexts beyond surrendering, such as in the common expression les pieds en l'air, which describes someone relaxing with their feet up.
Examples in context
- Lève les mains en l'air !Put your hands up in the air!This sentence demonstrates how to use mains en l'air ! to command someone to put their hands up in the air.Tatoeba #1925133 by sacredceltic, translation #1911883 by Spamster
- Garde les mains en l'air !Keep your hands up.This sentence shows how to use mains en l'air ! to tell someone to keep their hands up.Tatoeba #4426323 by sacredceltic, translation #3567373 by CK
- Haut les mains ! C'est un hold-up.Hands up! This is a robbery.This sentence illustrates the use of haut les mains ! during a robbery.Tatoeba #1299130 by sacredceltic, translation #1296486 by Shishir
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A police officer catches a thief during a chase.
- NathanHaut les mains !Hands up!
- EmmaD'accord, je me rends !Okay, I surrender!
- NathanNe bougez plus, Nathan !Don't move, Nathan!
- EmmaJe fais ce que vous dites.I'm doing what you say.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hands up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, haut, les, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
