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

  • coûte que coûte

    The French phrase coûte que coûte literally means “cost what it may” or “whatever it costs.” It expresses determination to achieve something regardless of the cost, difficulty, or risk involved. It is one of the most common French idioms for expressing absolute resolve. It comes from the verb coûter (to cost) and the conjunction que…

  • à huis clos

    “à huis clos” is a French saying that means in private, with all doors closed, in secret. It is an expression dating from the middle of the 16th century, meaning “with doors closed.” “Huis” is an old 11th century word for door, now replaced by the word “porte.” The original word for door was “us,”…

  • tenir la jambe

    The French saying “tenir la jambe” means literally “to hold the leg.” What it means figuratively is “to hold someone back or to delay someone by saying lots of boring or irrelevant things to them.” This conjures up images of trying to get away from someone who insists on telling you something, even though you…

  • vert, vers & ver

    Homonyms are words that sound the same. Vert, vers and ver are three French homonyms with completely different meanings. 1. Vert: Meaning:“Vert” is an adjective in French that translates to “green” in English. It is used to describe the color that is often associated with nature, foliage, and growth. “Vert” is a versatile term and…

  • fois, foi and foie

    What are the differences between the three French homonyms (words that sound the same, in this case) la fois, la foi and le foie? These three words are pronounced identically, but have quite different meanings. La fois La fois means “the time.” It always ends in the letter “s,” even when it is singular. Despite…