ta taille
The English phrase "your height" is translated into French as ta taille.
ta taille is used to refer to the measurement of how tall a person is. In certain contexts, it can also refer to your waist size or your physical build. If you want to state your own height informally, you can use the phrase "Je fais [height]". For a figurative way to describe height, commonly for children, you can say Je suis haut comme trois pommes (literally, "I am as tall as three apples").
Which one should you use?
While ta taille is the standard way to refer to a person's height, votre taille is the formal or plural version. Use votre taille when you are speaking to a stranger, a superior or a group of people. Additionally, while ta taille refers to a person, the word hauteur is used for the vertical measurement of inanimate objects.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun taille is feminine, which requires the use of the feminine possessive adjective ta rather than the masculine ton.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use ta hauteur to talk about a person's height. In French, hauteur is reserved for the height of objects, whereas taille is the correct term for human height.
Did you know?
- In a historical context, la taille was the name of a direct land tax in France that was famously hated by the peasantry before the French Revolution.
- The term taille is related to the English word 'tailor'. Both share the same root of cutting fabric to create a specific shape or size.
- While ta taille is used for height, the word taille also refers to the physical act of pruning a hedge or a tree.
Examples in context
- Cette ligne marque ta taille.This line marks your height.This sentence is useful for showing how a line can indicate ta taille.Tatoeba #444806 by Archibald, translation #58104 by rul
- Pourrais-tu m'indiquer ta taille et ton poids, je te prie ?Could you please tell me your height and weight?This sentence shows how to politely ask someone to provide ta taille and their weight.Tatoeba #1981646 by sacredceltic, translation #1981269 by CK
- Je fais un mètre soixante-quinze.I am one meter seventy-five.
- Je mesure 175 centimètres.I am 175 centimeters tall.
- Quelle est ta taille ?What's your height?
- Tu mesures combien ?How tall are you?
- Je ne connais pas ta taille.I don't know your height.
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are filling out an online profile for a sports club.
- NathanEst-ce que tu as écrit ta taille ?Did you write your height?
- ChloéOui, j'ai fini de remplir le formulaire.Yes, I finished filling out the form.
- NathanTu es très grande, Chloé.You are very tall, Chloé.
- ChloéMerci, c'est gentil de ta part.Thanks, that's kind of you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
