Log inSign up

Je vais tout droit, et je tourne à gauche.

Je vais tout droit, et je tourne à gauche.
I go straight, and I turn left.
From Lesson 33:Question word for location (où)·French

Breakdown of Je vais tout droit, et je tourne à gauche.

je
I
et
and
aller
to go
tourner
to turn
à gauche
to the left
tout droit
straight ahead

Questions & Answers about Je vais tout droit, et je tourne à gauche.

I thought tout meant 'all'. Why is it used in tout droit?
You are right that tout usually means 'all'. However, tout droit is a set phrase that means 'straight ahead'. You can think of it as going 'all straight' without taking any detours.
How do I tell the difference between droit (straight) and droite (right)?
This is a classic mix-up for beginners! Tout droit (ending in a silent 't') means 'straight ahead'. À droite (ending with an 'e', meaning you actually pronounce the 't' sound) means 'to the right'. Listening for that final 't' sound is the key to knowing which direction to go!
Why is there an à in à gauche? Can I just say je tourne gauche?
In English, we just say 'turn left'. But in French, you need the small word à (to/at) when talking about turning in a specific direction. You are literally saying 'I turn to the left' (je tourne à gauche).
Since this lesson is about où (where), why isn't où in this sentence?
This sentence is actually how you answer a question that uses où! If someone asks you for directions, like Où est la gare ? (Where is the train station?), you will use directional phrases exactly like tout droit and à gauche to tell them where to go.

Learn Je vais tout droit, et je tourne à gauche and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →