Respecte-toi
To say "respect yourself" in French, you use Respecte-toi.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Respecte-toi is composed of the imperative verb respecte (respect) and the reflexive pronoun toi (yourself).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the variation Respecte-toé. is used to mean "Respect yourself."
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperative form changes from Respecte-toi to Respectez-vous when addressing someone formally or when addressing a group. To form the negative imperative, the pronoun toi changes to te and is placed between ne and the verb, resulting in Ne te respecte pas.
Did you know?
- If someone tells you Respecte-toi! in a heated argument, they are often implying that your current behavior is beneath your social standing or character.
- Using the formal Respectez-vous with a close friend can be interpreted as mockingly sarcastic, as if you are treating them like a high-ranking official.
- In French, the concept of 'respect' is often tied to le respect dû, which is the respect specifically owed to someone because of their age or social rank.
Examples in context
- Respecte-toi et tu seras respecté.Respect yourself and you will be respected.Tatoeba #551491 by sacredceltic, translation #484146 by minshirui
- Respecte-toi.Respect yourself.Tatoeba #6740949 by Micsmithel, translation #264824 by CM
- Respecte-toi, tout le monde te respectera.Respect yourself, everyone will respect you.Tatoeba #7587155 by Talwit, translation #13727651 by Charmander
- Respectez-vous, cela fait partie de l'intégrité professionnelle.Respect yourself, it is part of professional integrity.
- Apprends à te respecter, ne laisse pas les autres te rabaisser.Learn to respect yourself, don't let others bring you down.
- Respecte-toé pis sois fier de qui t'es.Respect yourself and be proud of who you are.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
