à toi
The English phrase "your turn" can be translated into French as à toi.
This phrase is used to tell someone that it is now their time to act or speak. You can use the structure à toi de followed by the infinitive form of a verb to say "it is your turn to [do something]".
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, à toi means "to you", functioning in this context to indicate that the action is directed toward or belongs to you.
Which one should you use?
There are several variations depending on the situation. For example, À ton tour is an informal way to express "your turn" and À toi maintenant means "It's your turn now". In more formal settings, you might use C'est à vous maintenant for "It's your turn now" or À vous de jouer for "It's your turn to play".
How does it change in a sentence?
To address someone formally or to address a group of people, use à vous instead of à toi.
Did you know?
- The expression À vous de jouer is frequently used in politics or business to mean 'the ball is in your court', even when no game is involved.
- While À ton tour translates to 'your turn', the word tour is rooted in the Latin 'tornus', meaning a lathe or a circle.
- The word à in this phrase is a linguistic merger of the Latin words 'ad' and 'ab', which meant 'to' and 'from' respectively.
Examples in context
- À toi de couper !Your turn to split!This sentence shows how to use à toi to indicate a turn to perform an action like splitting.Tatoeba #791619 by sacredceltic, translation #791621 by sacredceltic
- À toi de mélanger.It's your turn to shuffle.This sentence uses à toi to indicate a turn to perform an action like shuffling.Tatoeba #8009330 by Yemana, translation #3820838 by CK
- C'est à toi de chanter.It's your turn to sing.This sentence uses à toi to indicate a turn to perform an action like singing.Tatoeba #8482 by sacredceltic, translation #70788 by CK
- Dans notre réunion, c'est à vous maintenant, Monsieur Dupont.In our meeting, it's your turn now, Mr. Dupont.
- À vous de jouer, Madame Martin.Your turn to play, Mrs. Martin.
- Maintenant, c'est à vous de parler, Mesdames et Messieurs.Now, it's your turn to speak, ladies and gentlemen.
- Après moi, à toi maintenant pour raconter ton histoire.After me, it's your turn now to tell your story.
- À ton tour de choisir le film, mon ami.Your turn to choose the movie, my friend.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are playing a board game together.
- ChloéJ'ai fini mon coup.I've finished my move.
- HugoC'est super, tu as presque gagné !That's great, you've almost won!
- ChloéMerci ! Maintenant, c'est à toi.Thanks! Now, it's your turn.
- HugoD'accord, je réfléchis.Okay, I'm thinking.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries toi, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
