je vous déteste tous
The phrase "I hate you all" in French is translated as je vous déteste tous.
This phrase is used to express strong dislike or anger toward a group of people.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I), vous (you/plural), déteste (hate) and tous (all/everyone).
Which one should you use?
Use je te déteste if you are addressing only one person, whereas je vous déteste tous is used for a group. To specify that you hate exactly two people, you can replace tous with tous les deux.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the group being addressed consists entirely of women, tous changes to the feminine form toutes in the phrase je vous déteste toutes.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, saying je vous déteste tous among very close friends can actually be a form of ironic or playful affection.
- Using the formal vous when expressing hatred can be a deliberate choice to create a cold and distant emotional barrier between the speaker and the group.
- The word je shares its ancestry with the Latin 'ego', which is the root of the English word 'egocentric'.
Examples in context
- C'est fini, je vous déteste tous !It's over, I hate you all!
- Partez, je vous déteste tous.Leave, I hate you all.
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are arguing after a heated group disagreement.
- HugoVous ne m'écoutez jamais !You never listen to me!
- ManonHugo, calme-toi, s'il te plaît.Hugo, calm down, please.
- HugoNon, je vous déteste tous.No, I hate you all.
- ManonC'est vraiment dommage.That is a real shame.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, tous, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
