voici
/vwa.si/
voici is the French way to say "here is" or "here are".
voici is used to introduce someone or something that is present or about to be mentioned.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a contraction of vois (see) and ici (here), so it literally means "see here".
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between voici and voilà. voici is used for something close to the speaker or something about to be mentioned, whereas voilà is used for something further away or something that has just been mentioned.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word voici is invariable. This means it does not change its form whether the noun it introduces is singular or plural.
How do you pronounce it?
voici has two syllables and is pronounced /vwa.si/.
Did you know?
- In casual spoken French, voilà has largely cannibalized voici, meaning people often use 'there is' even when pointing to something in their own hand.
- While voici is derived from a command to 'look', it is now a 'frozen' word that cannot be conjugated like a normal verb.
- In formal French writing, you can use voici to introduce a list or a quote, followed by a colon to act as a pointer. This is a standard way to structure complex sentences when presenting information.
Examples in context
- Tiens, ton café .Here is your coffee.
- Voici mon ami Pierre.Here is my friend Pierre.
- Voici les clés.Here are the keys.
- Voici le nouveau directeur de l'école.Here is the new school director.
- Voici ce que j'ai acheté.Here is what I bought.
Example conversation
Nathan introduces his friend to Léa at a cafe.
- NathanLéa, voici mon ami Thomas.Léa, this is my friend Thomas.
- LéaEnchantée, Thomas !Nice to meet you, Thomas!
- NathanIl est aussi étudiant ici.He is also a student here.
- LéaC'est super !That's great!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry voici, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
