Tu ressembles à
The English phrase "you look like" is translated into French as Tu ressembles à or Vous ressemblez à.
This phrase is used to indicate that someone has a similar physical appearance to another person or thing.
Which one should you use?
The phrase Tu ressembles à refers specifically to physical resemblance. This is different from Tu as l'air de, which is used to describe an impression or an apparent state, such as saying someone looks tired.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb ressembler must be followed by the preposition à before the person or thing being compared. When using the informal form, you use the tu conjugation. For the formal or plural form, you use vous.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Tu ressembles without the preposition. English speakers often forget to include à after the verb, but in French, you must always say ressembler à [someone/something].
Did you know?
- If a French speaker says Tu me ressembles, they are telling you that you look like them, but they are using an indirect object pronoun rather than the preposition à.
- The word tu is a cognate with the German du and the Russian ты, all descending from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- Because ressembler implies a likeness, saying Tu ressembles à un ange implies the person has a celestial or pure quality, not just a physical resemblance to an angel.
Examples in context
- Tu ressembles à ton père.You look like your father.This sentence is useful for showing resemblance to a family member using Tu ressembles à.Tatoeba #5313913 by parisian01, translation #1934856 by Spamster
- Tu ressembles à un singe.You look like a monkey.This sentence is useful for showing resemblance to an animal using Tu ressembles à.Tatoeba #8237601 by Aiji, translation #3348067 by CK
- Tu ressembles à un condé.You look like a cop.This sentence is useful for showing resemblance to a person with a specific role using Tu ressembles à.Tatoeba #14060820 by Myrano_, translation #3331094 by CK
- Vous ressemblez à une vedette très connue.You look like a very well-known celebrity.
- Tu ressembles à un acteur célèbre.You look like a famous actor.
- Tu ressembles vraiment à une magnifique fleurYou look really like a beautiful flower
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are looking at an old family photo.
- NathanTu ressembles à ta grand-mère sur cette photo.You look like your grandmother in this photo.
- EmmaC'est vrai, on me le dit souvent.It's true, people often tell me that.
- NathanSurtout avec ton sourire et tes yeux.Especially with your smile and your eyes.
- EmmaMerci, elle était très belle.Thank you, she was very beautiful.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tu, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
