lève la main
To say "raise your hand" in French, you say lève la main.
This phrase is used when instructing someone to lift their hand into the air, typically to signal for attention or to ask a question.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, lève la main translates to "raise the hand". Unlike English, French uses the definite article la (the) instead of a possessive adjective when referring to body parts in this context.
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive form of this action is lever la main, which is used to express the general concept of raising one's hand.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying lève ta main. While English speakers use the possessive "your," French speakers use the definite article la when referring to body parts. Use lève la main instead.
Did you know?
- The phrase main is used in the expression donner un coup de main, which means to help someone, literally translating to 'give a blow of hand'.
- In French, main is used in idioms to describe control or power, such as avoir la main haute, which means to have the upper hand in a situation.
- Because main comes from the Latin 'manus', it is a linguistic cousin to the English word 'manual', which describes work done by hand.
Examples in context
- Lève la main avant de répondre.Raise your hand before you answer.Tatoeba #458695 by sacredceltic, translation #265925 by CK
- Lève la main si tu connais la réponse.Raise your hand if you know the answer.Tatoeba #1313521 by sacredceltic, translation #280054 by CK
- Lève la main.Raise your hand.Tatoeba #497317 by sacredceltic, translation #456651 by lukaszpp
- Levez la main, s'il vous plaît, pour poser une question.Raise your hand, please, to ask a question.
- Lève la main, s'il te plaît, pour donner ta réponse.Raise your hand, please, to give your answer.
- Levez la main, s'il vous plaît, si vous avez terminé.Raise your hand, please, if you have finished.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A teacher is giving instructions to students in a classroom.
- NathanLève la main si tu as une question, Chloé.Raise your hand if you have a question, Chloé.
- ChloéD'accord, j'ai une question sur l'exercice.Okay, I have a question about the exercise.
- NathanJe t'écoute, Nathan a déjà levé la main aussi.I'm listening, Nathan has already raised his hand too.
- ChloéMerci, monsieur.Thank you, sir.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, main, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
