le voilà
The English phrase "there it is" is translated into French as le voilà.
This expression is used when a person or an object that was expected or sought is finally seen or arrives.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the direct object pronoun le (him/it) and the adverb voilà (there it is/there he is).
Which one should you use?
While le voilà is used when something is seen or arrives (often at a distance), le voici is used when something is being presented or is very close to the speaker. In many contexts, you can drop the pronoun le and simply say Voilà! to express the same sentiment of "There it is!" or "There you go!"
How does it change in a sentence?
If the object being sought is a feminine noun, you must change the pronoun to la to say la voilà ("there she is / there it is (feminine)"). To say "there they are" for multiple people or objects, use the plural form les voilà.
Did you know?
- The word voilà is actually a command to your eyes, combining the imperative vois (look!) with là (there). It is essentially telling someone to 'look there' to find the object.
- English speakers often use voilà to mean 'and there you have it', but in French, it is frequently used to conclude a list or a summary of a situation, acting as a linguistic full stop.
- The phrase le voilà can sometimes be used to express a sense of resignation or frustration, similar to saying 'There he goes again' or 'There it is, the problem'.
Examples in context
- Nous avons cherché le restaurant pendant des heures. Mais le voilà!We looked for the restaurant for hours. But there it is!
- J'ai des livres intéressants. En voici un.I have some interesting books. Here is one.
- Regarde! Le voici! J'ai enfin trouvé mon téléphone.Look! There it is! I finally found my phone.
- Le voilà !There it is!
- Ah, le voilà, mon colis.Ah, there it is, my package.
- Regarde, le voilà enfin.Look, there it is at last.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are waiting for a delivery at their door.
- EmmaOù est le livreur ?Where is the delivery man?
- NathanRegarde, le voilà !Look, there he is!
- EmmaEnfin, il est arrivé.Finally, he has arrived.
- NathanJe vais ouvrir la porte.I am going to open the door.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, voilà, CC BY-SA 4.0.
