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

  • verb: fondre

    The French verb “fondre” means “to melt,” along with a host of other meanings. It’s a useful verb to know if you’re heading into summer temperatures. “Fondre” can mean “to melt,” “to melt down,” “to thaw,” “to thaw out,” “to cast,” “to dissolve,” “to melt away,” “to waste away,” “to soften,” or when used reflexively,…

  • arroser

    The French verb “arroser” means “to sprinkle,” “to water,” “to spray” or “to douse.” A reflexive version, “s’arroser,” also exists, usually referring to the consumption of alcohol. arroser examples s’arroser examples Etymology The verb “arroser” is derived from the Latin words “ad,” meaning “to,” and “ros,” meaning “dew” or “moisture.”

  • 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…