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Nous partons demain, c'est-à-dire très tôt.

Nous partons demain, c'est-à-dire très tôt.
We are leaving tomorrow, that is to say very early.
From Lesson 96:Sequence connectors (d'abord, puis...)·French

Breakdown of Nous partons demain, c'est-à-dire très tôt.

très
very
demain
tomorrow
partir
to leave / to depart
tôt
early
c'est-à-dire
that is to say

Questions & Answers about Nous partons demain, c'est-à-dire très tôt.

How does c'est-à-dire literally translate?
It translates almost exactly as it does in English! It breaks down as c' (it) + est (is) + à (to) + dire (say). It is a very common set phrase used to clarify or specify something you just said, similar to using 'meaning' or 'i.e.' in English.
Why does the sentence use the present tense Nous partons if they are leaving demain (tomorrow)?
Just like in English ('We are leaving tomorrow'), French frequently uses the present tense to talk about future events that are already planned, scheduled, or very certain to happen. You could also use the near future (Nous allons partir), but the present tense is very natural here.
Does c'est-à-dire work like the sequential connectors d'abord or puis?
Not exactly. While d'abord (first) and puis (then) move a story forward in time, c'est-à-dire is an explanatory connector. You use it to pause your sequence of events and clarify a detail you just mentioned. Here, it clarifies exactly what time 'tomorrow' means.
Is the 't' at the end of tôt pronounced?
No, the final 't' is silent, so tôt sounds similar to the English word 'toe'. In French, the consonants D, P, S, T, X, and Z are usually silent when they appear at the very end of a word.

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