What does it mean word for word?
The phrase combien tu mesures literally translates to "how much you measure".
Which one should you use?
While combien tu mesures is a common way to ask, you can also use the alternative Quelle est ta taille ?, which means "What is your height?" using the noun taille.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium, you might hear people use the expression Je suis grand(e) d'un mètre 75 to state their height, rather than saying Je mesure 175 centimètres.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the level of formality or plurality, you switch the subject and verb from tu mesures to vous mesurez in the phrase combien vous mesurez.
When do people say it?
When providing your height in French, it is customary to use centimètres for precise measurements. To answer informally, you can say Je fais [your height].
Did you know?
- While taille is used for a person's height, it is also the word used for 'waist' in fashion and 'size' when shopping for clothes.
- The word combien originated as a compound of the Old French words comme meaning 'as' and bien meaning 'well'.
- In French, the word grand is used for both 'tall' and 'big', making it impossible to distinguish between height and overall size using this word alone.
Examples in context
- Je mesure 175 centimètres.I am 175 centimeters tall.
- Je fais 160.I am 160.
- Pourriez-vous me dire votre taille, s'il vous plaît?Could you tell me your height, please?
- Tu fais combien de centimètres?How tall are you?
- Je me demande combien tu mesures.I wonder how tall you are.
- Dis-moi, combien tu mesures exactement ?Tell me, how tall are you exactly?
- On ne sait pas combien tu mesures.We don't know how tall you are.
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are talking about their height during a walk.
- EmmaGabriel, combien tu mesures ?Gabriel, how tall are you?
- GabrielJe mesure un mètre quatre-vingts.I am one meter eighty.
- EmmaC'est impressionnant, tu es très grand !That's impressive, you are very tall!
- GabrielMerci, c'est gentil.Thank you, that's kind.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries combien, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
