épelle ça
The English phrase "spell that" is translated into French as épelle ça.
This phrase is used to request that someone state the letters of a word one by one.
Which one should you use?
While épelle ça is a direct way to say "spell that", in more formal or precise contexts you might replace ça with the direct object pronouns le (masculine) or la (feminine) to mean "spell it" (e.g., épellez-le or épellez-la).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form épelle ça uses the tu form and is appropriate for friends, family or children. In a professional setting, such as over the phone with a customer service agent, it is more natural to use the polite question form Pouvez-vous épeler cela ? rather than the imperative épelle ça.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to more than one person or using the formal vous form, use épellez ça instead of épelle ça.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'spell' for both letters and magic, French uses épeler only for letters. For magic, French uses the verb jeter as in jeter un sort.
- In French, the letter H is called hache, which is also the word for 'axe'.
- The word ça is a calque of the German pronoun Es, which functions as a substantivized pronoun.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, comment s'épelle ce mot?Excuse me, how is this word spelled?
- Hé, tu peux épeler ce mot?Hey, can you spell this word?
- Pouvez-vous épeler votre nom, s'il vous plaît?Can you spell your name, please?
- Peux-tu me dire comment s'écrit ton nom?Can you tell me how your name is written?
- Je ne comprends pas, épelle ça s'il te plaît.I don't understand, spell that please.
- Épelle ça lentement pour que je puisse l'écrire.Spell that slowly so I can write it down.
Example conversation
Emma is trying to write down a new word Hugo mentioned.
- EmmaComment s'écrit ce mot ?How is this word spelled?
- HugoC'est très compliqué.It is very complicated.
- EmmaÉpelle ça, s'il te plaît.Spell that, please.
- HugoD'accord, c'est V-I-C-T-O-I-R-E.Okay, it is V-I-C-T-O-I-R-E.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
