Let's talk about…everything! Or, the word tout in French. Did you know that tout can change spelling and pronunciation? And are you aware that this versatile word can function as an adjective, an adverb, a pronoun, and a noun? In this lesson, we'll focus on tout (all) as an adjective in the constructions tout + noun versus tout + determiner + noun.

Tout as a quantifier is usually equivalent to “all,” expressing totality, as in tout le temps (all the time). The construction is usually as follows: tout + determiner + a noun (a determiner is a short word preceding a noun, such as “the” in English). Tout (all) then functions as an adjective since it is attached to a noun, and it will therefore agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. So, tout has four different endings: tout, toute, toutes, tous. When tout agrees with a masculine singular noun, you're in luck: no change is required! In the example below, tout agrees with the noun votre argent (your money):

Vous donnez tout votre argent à Gérard.

You're giving all your money to Gérard.

Caption 69, Le Jour où tout a basculé Mes parents se préparent à la fin du monde - Part 7

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When tout modifies a masculine plural noun, just drop the -t ending and replace it with an -s (tous), as in tous les petits commerces (all the little shops). Note that tout and tous sound the same, as the final -t and -s are both silent:

Ce qui est intéressant aussi dans la rue, c'est que tous les petits commerces sont des artisans français.

What's also interesting on the street is that all the little shops are French craftworkers.

Captions 32-34, Adrien Rue des Martyrs

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When tout modifies a feminine noun, add an -e for agreement. Note that this time, however, you do pronounce the second t! Listen for the t sound in toute la journée (all day) in the following video. Also note that we don’t say “all the day” in English, but we do in French!

Il a plu toute la journée.

It rained all day.

Caption 22, Ahlam et Timothé Des conversations basiques

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When tout agrees with a feminine plural noun, add -es to the end: toutes. As in the previous example, you will pronounce the second t, but not the final s. In other words, toute (feminine singular) and toutes (feminine plural) sound the same. In the example below, toutes agrees with the feminine plural noun les heures (hours). In this case, though, toutes les heures translates as “every hour,” not “all hours”:

Depuis que le nouveau curé a remis ses cloches à sonner toutes les heures

Since the new priest reset his bells to ring every hour

Caption 62, Actu Vingtième Le vide-grenier

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So far, so good, but watch what happens when we decide to omit the les. Just as in English, the meaning changes. In the clause below, the bell doesn’t necessarily ring on the hour, but “at all hours":

Depuis que le nouveau curé a remis ses cloches à sonner à toute heure

Since the new priest reset his bells to ring at all hours

In other words, when tout is used in the sense of “any” or “whichever," you drop the determiner and get the construction tout + noun. The person in the video below expects to be exposed à tout moment (at any moment): 

Mais elle reste obnubilée par son larcin de la veille et s'attend à tout moment à être démasquée.

But she remains obsessed with her petty theft of the day before and expects at any moment to be unmasked.

Captions 47-49, Le Jour où tout a basculé J'ai volé pour nourrir mon fils - Part 3

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There is one more thing to consider. Even in the absence of determiners, agreement rules still apply! In the example below, we have three different spellings: agreements with a masculine plural noun (tous biens), a masculine singular noun (tout don), and a feminine singular noun (toute personne). Also note how the translation of tout varies according to the noun that follows it:

Tous biens... tout don est bienvenu, ainsi que toute personne.

All goods... every donation is welcome, as well as every person.

Caption 43, Actus Quartier Repair Café

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The use of tout can also imply diversity and inclusiveness, as in de toute religion (from all religions):

Y a de toute religion, y a des musulmans, y a de tout de chez nous.

There're people from all religions, there are Muslims, there's a bit of everything in our club.

Caption 14, Actu Vingtième Le vide-grenier

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Speaking of “all kinds," we have the expression toutes sortes (all kinds/all sorts):

Toutes sortes de décors... et une belle vaisselle.

All kinds of decorations... and beautiful dishes.

Caption 10, Alsace 20 Grain de Sel: le Lycée hôtelier Alexandre Dumas

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The construction tout + noun can also imply “any” possibility of something. In the video below, the pastry chef talks about being proactive by polishing the cutlery to avoid any potential marks:

Il faudra bien penser à les nettoyer, les polir correctement, pour éviter toute trace, parce que c'est plus joli, c'est plus sympa.

You really have to think about cleaning them, polishing them correctly, to avoid any marks, because it's prettier, it's nicer.

Captions 15-16, Alsace 20 Grain de Sel: le Lycée hôtelier Alexandre Dumas

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If the speaker had found des traces (some marks) on the cutlery, he would have had the staff remove toutes les traces (all the marks) and say something like this:

Nettoyez toutes les traces afin qu’il n’en reste plus.

Clean all the marks so there are none left.

In conclusion, a few reminders. Include a determiner to convey quantity, entirety, or diversity, as in tout le (all the) and tous les (every). But drop the determiner when tout is used in the sense of “any," “whichever,” or “all kinds." Whether you use the construction tout + determiner + noun or tout + noun, agreement rules apply in both cases. And don't forget: toutes les vidéos sur Yabla (all the Yabla videos) are available to help you. And since tout is such a common word, you'll find it in just about any video (toute vidéo). We will continue to explore tout in another lesson. Merci pour tout! (Thanks for everything!)

In The X Factor, we focused on the various pronunciations of the letter x. We learned that x is usually silent at the end of words, including a few numbers. There are just three numerals (not including the larger numbers composed of them) ending in x in French: deux, six, dix (two, six, ten). These numbers are a breed apart, as they follow their own set of rules.

As mentioned in our earlier lesson, the final x in a word is silent in most situations, such as when the word is isolated or followed by punctuation. Note how Patricia pronounces deux (i.e., does not pronounce the x) in her lesson on numbers:

Deux.

Two.

Caption 5, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 1

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The same rule applies to all numbers ending in deux. This time, soixante-deux (sixty-two) is followed by a comma, also making the final x silent. (We'll deal with the x in soixante in a moment.)

soixante-deux, soixante-trois

sixty-two, sixty-three

Captions 24-25, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 2

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In addition, the x in deux, six, and dix is silent when followed by a word beginning with a consonant, as in six minutes (six minutes) and dix premiers (first ten):

On va dire approximativement cinq à six minutes.

We'll say approximately five to six minutes.

Caption 39, Alsace 20 Grain de Sel: Au Caveau de l'étable à Niederbronn-les-Bains

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On appelle les dix premiers nombres composés de deux chiffres les dizaines.

We call the first ten numbers composed of two digits the tens.

Captions 34-35, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 1

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Note, however, that there is a second pronunciation that is also correct. You might hear the x sounded like a soft s: diS premiers, siS minutes. The s sound helps emphasize quantity. Strangely enough, this never occurs with deux (two), whose x stays silent. 

On the other hand, the liaison rule is not optional and applies to all three numbers. The presence of a vowel or silent h will trigger a change in pronunciation, and the final x in deux/dix/six will sound like a z to form the liaison. Listen to the examples in the videos below. Do you hear the z sound in deuZ enfants (two children), siZ ans (six years), and diZ-huit (eighteen)?

Je suis avec mes deux enfants et mon mari.

I'm with my two children and my husband.

Caption 64, Actus Quartier Devant la SNCF

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Et nous sommes mariés depuis six ans maintenant.

And we've been married for six years now.

Caption 15, Ahlam et Timothé Des conversations basiques

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Dix-huit.

Eighteen.

Caption 54, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 1

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Interestingly, a liaison also occurs with the number dix-neuf (nineteen), pronounced diZ-neuf, even though neuf starts with a consonant!

Pareil pour dix-neuf.

Same for nineteen.

Caption 55, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 1

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Going back to a more regular pattern, you will also hear the z sound in ordinal numbers, as in sixième (sixth), deuxième (second), and dixième (tenth), since the x is between two vowels:

Il nous avait assurés qu'il n'y aurait pas de deuxième confinement.

He had assured us that there would be no second lockdown.

Caption 12, Lionel L Le deuxième confinement

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Donc au sixième étage tu peux manger

So on the sixth floor you can eat

Caption 72, Amal et Caroline Centre Georges Pompidou

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So far so good, but here comes another set of exceptions: the rogue sixties (and seventies)! All numbers containing soixante (sixty) escape the z-sound rule. Whereas usually an x between two vowels is pronounced like a z, in soixante it sounds like an s instead. Listen to Patricia again. Do you hear the s sounds in soiSSante (sixty) and soiSSante-siS (sixty-six)?

Et soixante. Soixante et un.

And sixty. Sixty-one.

Captions 22-23, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 2

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Soixante-six.

Sixty-six.

Caption 28, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 2

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Besides the exception above, there are other regular instances when the x should sound like s. When isolated or separated by punctuation, dix and six sound like diS and siS. (But as mentioned, deux keeps its silent x.) Here's Patricia again:

Six.

Six.

Caption 9, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 1

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Après dix, on aura donc dans les dizaines...

After ten, we will thus have, in the tens...

Caption 36, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 1

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You're more likely to use the s sound when counting or doing math: 

Dix-sept, c'est dix plus sept.

Seventeen is ten plus seven.

Captions 49-50, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 1

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These frequent switches between sounds come naturally to native French speakers but can be a bit of a puzzle for new learners. Note how Patricia toggles between diZ and diS effortlessly:

Pareil pour dix-huit. Dix plus huit.

Same for eighteen. Ten plus eight.

Captions 52-53, Le saviez-vous? Les chiffres et les nombres - Part 1

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In short, the pronunciation of the numbers deux, six, and dix may seem very inconsistent and challenging at times. But with practice and listening to many Yabla videos, things will become easier. Here's a summary to help you:

The x is silent when a consonant follows the number:

deux parapluies (two umbrellas)

six voitures (six cars)

dix maisons (ten houses)

And when deux is isolated or separated by punctuation:

Deux. (Two.)

Un, deux, trois. (One, two, three.)

The x sounds like a Z when a liaison occurs:

deux amis (deuZ amis, two friends)

six enfants (siZ enfants, six children)

deuxième, sixième, dixième (deuZième, siZième, diZième, second, sixth, tenth)

dix-huit (diZ-huit, eighteen)

Exception: dix-neuf (diZ-neuf, nineteen)

The x sounds like an S when six or dix is isolated or separated by punctuation, and in numbers containing soixante:

dix plus six (diS plus siS, ten plus six)

Cinquante-six. (Cinquante-siS, fifty-six)

Soixante. (SoiSSante, sixty)

soixante-six, soixante-dix (soiSSante-siS, soiSSante-diS, sixty-six, seventy)

Thank you for reading. And remember that you can always count on Yabla videos to help you out!