French TOUT and How to Pronounce TOUS
The French word TOUT has several different uses. It can mean all, every, whole, everything, or very, depending on how it is used.
It also has four written forms:
- tout – masculine singular
- toute – feminine singular
- tous – masculine plural
- toutes – feminine plural
One of the trickiest things about this word is knowing when to pronounce the final S in TOUS.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use TOUT as a determiner (adjective), an adverb, and a pronoun, with examples and pronunciation tips.
You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library.
1. The Different Forms of TOUT
When TOUT is used as a determiner (traditionally called an indefinite adjective), it agrees with the noun it describes.
| Form | Gender and number | Pronunciation of final S |
|---|---|---|
| tout | Masculine singular | No S |
| toute | Feminine singular | No S |
| tous | Masculine plural | S is usually silent |
| toutes | Feminine plural | S is silent |
Examples:
- Tout le monde – everyone
- Toute la classe – the whole class
- Tous les enfants – all the children
- Toutes les chaises – all the chairs
Remember that TOUT as a determiner agrees with the noun that follows it.
2. TOUT as a Determiner (Adjective)
TOUT can be used before a noun to express all, every, or whole.
TOUT before a noun
| French | English |
|---|---|
| toute aide | any help / all help |
| tout âge | any age |
| toute sollicitation | every request |
| à toute heure | at all hours |
TOUT before definite articles
TOUT can come before le, la, l’, and les.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| tout l’avion | the whole plane |
| toute la classe | the whole class |
| tout le monde | everyone |
| tous les enfants | all the children |
| toutes les chaises | all the chairs |
TOUT before possessive adjectives
TOUT can also come before possessive adjectives such as mon, ma, mes, son, sa, and ses.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| tous mes cousins | all of my cousins |
| toutes ses voitures | all of his / her cars |
| toute ma vie | my whole life |
| tout ton gâteau | your whole cake |
TOUT before demonstrative adjectives
TOUT can be used before demonstrative adjectives such as ce, cet, cette, and ces.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| toute cette classe | this whole class |
| tous ces devoirs | all these assignments |
| toutes ces étudiantes | all these female students |
| tout ce temps | all this time |
3. TOUT as an Adverb
TOUT can also be an adverb. When used this way, it modifies an adjective or another adverb.
It can mean:
- Very
- Completely
- Entirely
- Extremely
Here are some common expressions:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| tout droit | straight ahead |
| tout doucement | very slowly / very gently |
| tout à côté | right next to |
| tout à gauche | all the way to the left |
TOUT as an adverb is usually invariable
When TOUT is an adverb, it normally does not change form. This means you use tout, not tous, even when the adjective describes a plural subject.
For example:
Il est tout content d’être avec moi.
He is very happy to be with me.
Ils sont tout tristes.
They are very sad.
Notice that the subject in the second example is plural, but TOUT does not change to TOUS.
An important exception with feminine adjectives
When TOUT is an adverb before a feminine adjective, there is a special agreement rule.
- If the feminine adjective begins with a vowel or silent H, TOUT stays invariable.
- If the feminine adjective begins with a consonant or aspirated H, TOUT agrees with the adjective.
Examples:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Diane a mangé la pizza tout entière. | Diane ate the whole pizza. |
| C’est une toute petite fille. | She’s a very small girl. |
| Ces assiettes sont toutes brillantes. | These plates are very shiny. |
In the first example, entière begins with a vowel sound, so TOUT stays unchanged.
In the second example, petite begins with a consonant, so TOUT becomes TOUTE.
In the third example, brillantes is feminine plural and begins with a consonant, so TOUT becomes TOUTES.
4. TOUT as a Pronoun
A pronoun replaces a noun or refers to something without naming it again.
As a pronoun, TOUT can mean everything, all, or everyone, depending on the form and context.
There are three forms:
- tout – everything (neuter singular)
- tous – all of them (masculine plural or a group of mixed gender)
- toutes – all of them (feminine plural)
TOUT – Everything
Tout va bien, merci.
Everything is going well, thank you.
Here, TOUT is a neuter pronoun. It refers to a situation or idea rather than a person.
TOUS – All of them
When TOUS is a plural pronoun, you pronounce the final S.
Mes enfants sont tous adorables.
My children are all adorable.
Ils sont tous partis.
They all left.
In both examples, TOUS is a pronoun referring back to a group of people. Pronounce the final S.
TOUTES – All of them
TOUTES is the feminine plural pronoun. The final S is not pronounced.
Les filles sont toutes allées aux toilettes.
The girls all went to the bathroom.
5. How to Pronounce TOUS: The Important Difference
This is one of the most important distinctions to learn.
When TOUS is a determiner before a noun, the final S is normally silent.
When TOUS is a plural pronoun, the final S is pronounced.
Compare these examples:
TOUS as a pronoun – Pronounce the S
Ils sont tous contents de partir en vacances.
They are all happy to go on vacation.
Here, TOUS means all of them. It is a pronoun referring to ils, so you pronounce the final S.
TOUT as an adverb – Do not pronounce the S
Ils sont tout contents de partir en vacances.
They are very happy to go on vacation.
Here, TOUT means very. It is an adverb modifying contents, so there is no S to pronounce.
The two sentences are very similar, but the meaning changes depending on whether you use the pronoun TOUS or the adverb TOUT.
Compare these two sentences
Tous les enfants sont contents.
All the children are happy.
Here, TOUS is a determiner placed before the noun enfants. The final S is normally silent.
Les enfants sont tous contents.
The children are all happy.
Here, TOUS is a pronoun placed after the verb. You pronounce the final S.
The position of TOUS in the sentence helps you identify its function and meaning.
6. Reference Chart: When to Pronounce the S in TOUS
| Use | Example | Pronounce the S? |
|---|---|---|
| Determiner before a noun | tous mes amis | No |
| Pronoun meaning all of them | Ils sont tous partis. | Yes |
| Adverb meaning very | Ils sont tout contents. | No |
