ou…ou

In French, the construction “ou…ou” is commonly used to present alternatives or choices. It translates to “either…or” in English.

Examples:

  1. “Tu peux choisir ou le chocolat ou la vanille.” (You can choose either chocolate or vanilla.)
  2. “Nous irons au cinéma ou nous resterons à la maison.” (We’ll either go to the cinema or stay at home.)
  3. “Elle peut prendre le train ou l’avion pour se rendre à Paris.” (She can either take the train or the plane to go to Paris.)
  4. “Veux-tu du café ou du thé?” (Do you want either coffee or tea?)
  5. “Il doit décider s’il veut partir maintenant ou attendre demain.” (He needs to decide whether he wants to leave now or wait until tomorrow.)

Read more:

See the post about the “soit…soit” construction in French.

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • pas vrai ?

    The French expressions pas vrai and c’est pas vrai are common in everyday speech. They are both used to express surprise, disbelief or doubt. While they literally mean “not true” or “it’s not true,” they are often better translated as “no way,” “really?” or “you’re kidding.” These phrases are informal and frequently heard in spoken…

  • think

    There are a few different ways to say “to think” in French. You can use verbs like “penser,” “songer,” “réfléchir,” “croire,” or “considérer.” penser Penser means “to think.” It is related to the English word “pensive,” someone who is thoughtful or in deep thought. It can be used with “à” to mean “to have in…

  • laid comme un pou

    The French saying “laid comme un pou” translates literally as “(as) ugly as a louse.” It means “very ugly.” This idiom dates back to the end of the 18th century. Although there are plenty of other insects that are uglier than a louse, which is responsible for head lice infestations, the effects of this insect…

  • maint

    The French adjective “maint” means “many,” “many a,” “numerous” or “manifold.” It is a little archaic and is most commonly used in a literary way, although some still use it in everyday speech. People tend to prefer more modern words such as “beaucoup,” “nombreux,” “plusieurs,” or more familiarly, “plein de.” As an adjective, “maint” must…

  • à la fois

    The French expression à la fois means “at the same time” or “both.” It is used to describe actions, qualities or states that occur or apply simultaneously. The phrase is versatile and appears often in both spoken and written French. One common use of à la fois is to describe someone or something with multiple…

  • Irregular verbs overview

    Regular vs. Irregular Verbs: A Brief Overview In French, as in many other languages, verbs are categorised as either regular or irregular based on their conjugation patterns. Conjugation refers to how a verb changes in form to match different subjects, tenses, and moods. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns, making them relatively easy to conjugate once…