Using Tout in French

Four letters. Three jobs. Endless confusion.

Tout is one of those French words that looks simple until it isn't. It can mean all, every, everything, or very, and it behaves differently depending on whether it's working as an adjective, a pronoun, or an adverb. Get the form wrong and the sentence sounds off. Get it right and it becomes second nature.

This guide breaks it down clearly, with examples for every use and a quick-reference summary at the end.

Inside you'll find:

• Tout as an adjective: agreement rules, and the forms tout, toute, tous, toutes with real examples
• Tout as a pronoun: replacing nouns and ideas, including how tous/toutes behaves after the verb
• Tout as an adverb: when it means "very" or "completely," and the one rule that trips everyone up: feminine adjectives starting with a consonant
• Common expressions: tout à coup, tout de suite, tout à fait, pas du tout, and more
• A practice section to test what you've learned

One word. Every function. Finally clear.