tout can accompany a noun to talk about the whole, entirety or something complete. We say tout le livre, toute la journée, tous les jours, toutes les maisons. The word is placed before the noun and takes the same gender and number as that noun. In tout le voyage, the idea is that the entire journey is concerned. In toute la classe, the entire class is included. With a singular noun, tout often expresses the idea of entirety, as in toute la famille or tout le quartier. With a plural noun, it refers to all the elements in the group, as in tous les dossiers or toutes les rues.

Adjectival uses of tout

Usage	Explanation
General idea	We use tout to express the totality of something when talking about an object, a moment, or a group as a single block.
Complete duration	We use tout to emphasize an entire duration when an action covers the period from start to finish.
Global quantity	We choose tout to speak of the whole extent of a space or content without leaving anything out.
Whole group	We use tout to present all the people in a group as a single unit.

tout changes form according to the noun it accompanies. In the masculine singular, we keep tout. In the feminine singular, we write toute. In the masculine plural, we write tous. In the feminine plural, we write toutes. The noun that follows determines the agreement, not the position in the sentence. We say tout le repas, toute la soirée, tous les élèves, toutes les réponses. When tout accompanies a noun with a determiner, it retains the function of an adjective and serves to show that the whole is being targeted. The same pattern is found in common groups such as tout le monde and in useful vocabulary reviews such as Review Sheets.

Rules of tout agreement

Idea
We put tout in masculine singular to accompany a masculine singular noun.
We put toute in feminine singular to accompany a feminine singular noun.
We put tous in masculine plural to accompany a masculine plural noun.
We put toutes in feminine plural to accompany a feminine plural noun.

Before a vowel or a silent h, tout sometimes agrees in speech as well as in writing when it is an adjective or adverb. Thus we keep the feminine form toute in toute adorable, toute heureuse, toute entière. The linking sound occurs naturally between toute and the following word. We also say tout in tout à fait because the expression is fixed. The sound changes according to the function of the word. With a feminine adjective beginning with a vowel, tout remains toute: une femme toute émue, une histoire toute étrange.

Sound agreement before a vowel

Idea
Tout becomes toute before a feminine noun beginning with a vowel or silent h.
The form changes to maintain easier pronunciation.
We keep this form even if the following word begins with a silent letter when spoken.

tous and toutes are used to talk about the entirety of a group. tous refers to a masculine or mixed group, and toutes to a feminine group. We say tous les étudiants, toutes les places, tous les jours, toutes les semaines. When tous is not followed by a noun, it can mean each one or all the people concerned depending on the context. In Tous sont partis, the idea is that each person in the group left. In a sentence like Tous ont compris, the overall meaning is clear, without needing to repeat the noun. This word is frequent in everyday expressions and in Idioms related to groups and entirety.

toustoutestoustoutestoustous

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Ce mot désigne l ensemble des personnes ou des choses au masculin plurielCe mot désigne l ensemble des personnes ou des choses au féminin plurielCe mot peut aussi servir à insister sur la totalité d un groupeCe mot se lit parfois comme le groupe entier réuniCe mot peut vouloir dire chacun sans exception selon le contexteCe mot met en valeur la totalité d un ensemble féminin

Meanings and uses of tous and toutes

Word	Definition
tous	This word refers to the whole of people or things in masculine plural.
toutes	This word refers to the whole of people or things in feminine plural.
tous	This word can mean each without exception depending on context.
tous	This word can also serve to emphasize the entirety of a group.
toutes	This word emphasizes the entirety of a feminine group.
tous	This word is sometimes read as the whole group gathered.

Scramble

tout can also be an adverb that strengthens an adjective. It then means very or completely. We say tout petit, tout près, tout nouveau, tout calme. Before a masculine adjective or a feminine adjective beginning with a consonant, it remains invariable. Before a feminine adjective beginning with a consonant, it often agrees in speech and in writing: toute contente, toute seule, toute triste. The idea is that of a complete degree. Tout prêt means that something is completely ready. Tout blanc means entirely white. In everyday language, this meaning is very frequent with adjectives of size, state or color.

Intensive adverb uses of tout

Usage	Explanation
Strong intensity	We use tout as an adverb to mean very before an adjective or a participle.
State of completeness	We use tout to mean completely when something changes all the way.
Discrete emphasis	We choose tout to give a small, playful intensity to a quality.
Total preparation	We use tout to show that someone is completely ready for an action.

tout can replace a general idea, all things, or what matters in general. It then functions as a pronoun or a neuter noun depending on the sentence. In Tout va bien, it refers to the entire situation. In Je veux tout, it replaces everything that is desired. In tout ce qui compte, it summarizes all the important elements. It is often found in general formulations such as tout le monde, tout est possible, tout change. It can also appear in summary or entirety sentences, where it encompasses what is present, known or available. For other fixed groups of this type, also see Idioms.

touttouttouttouttout

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Ce mot peut représenter ce qui est important au completCe mot peut servir à parler de l ensemble du mondeCe mot peut résumer la totalité d une situationCe mot peut désigner ce qui existe en général sans préciser un élément particulierCe mot peut remplacer l ensemble des choses dans une idée globale

Pronominal values of tout

Word	Definition
tout	This word can replace the whole of things in a global idea.
tout	This word can denote what exists in general without specifying a particular element.
tout	This word can summarize the entirety of a situation.
tout	This word can represent what is important in full.
tout	This word can serve to talk about the whole world.

Scramble

Several expressions with tout are used as fixed blocks. Tout à fait means completely or exactly. Du tout is used in negation, as in pas du tout. De tout refers to a great variety, as in Il y a de tout au marché. En tout summarizes a total quantity, as in En tout, nous sommes six. Tout de suite means immediately. In pas du tout, du tout reinforces the negation. In tout à coup, the expression indicates a sudden action. These turns of phrase are memorized as units, with their own meaning and common usage.

tout de suitetout à faitde touten toutdu touttout le tempstout à coup

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Cette expression sert à dire pas le moins du mondeCette expression signifie sans arrêtCette expression veut dire soudainementCette expression signifie des choses variées sans préférence uniqueCette expression sert à dire au totalCette expression veut dire immédiatementCette expression veut dire complètement ou absolument

Common expressions with tout

Word	Definition
tout à fait	This expression means completely or absolutely.
du tout	This expression is used to say not at all.
de tout	This expression means a variety of things with no single preference.
en tout	This expression serves to say in total.
tout de suite	This expression means immediately.
tout le temps	This expression means all the time.
tout à coup	This expression means suddenly.

Scramble

tous is pronounced in two ways according to its role in the sentence. Before a noun, it is often pronounced [tu], as in tous les jours. When tous is used alone to refer to people, it is generally pronounced [tus], as in Tous sont arrivés. The final letter is heard in this second case. The contrast helps distinguish the group expressed by a determiner from the form used as a pronoun. In everyday language, this difference appears mainly in speech, while in writing it remains tous. Expressions with tout are frequent in conversation and in quick reviews of Review Sheets.

Pronunciation of tous depending on context

Word	Notation	Description	Example
tous	tu	We pronounce tous as tu when used before a noun or in casual speech before a vowel.	Tous les enfants rient.Tous the children laugh.
tous	tus	We pronounce tous as tus when used alone or at the end of a sentence to refer to the whole group.	Ils sont tous venus au bal.They all came to the party.
tous	tu	We keep the pronunciation tu when tous accompanies a following word in a nominal group.	Tous les chats dorment.Tous the cats sleep.