Breakdown of En tout cas, le devis est clair.
être
to be
clair
clear
le devis
the contractor’s quote
en tout cas
in any case
Questions & Answers about En tout cas, le devis est clair.
Why does the sentence start with en tout cas?
En tout cas is a very common French expression that means in any case, anyway, or at least depending on context.
In this sentence, it works like a comment on the whole statement:
- En tout cas, le devis est clair.
- Anyway / In any case, the quote is clear.
It often helps the speaker shift focus, conclude something, or emphasize one point even if other things are uncertain.
For example:
- Le prix est peut-être élevé. En tout cas, le devis est clair.
- The price may be high. At least the quote is clear.
Why is it tout and not tous in en tout cas?
Because en tout cas is a fixed expression.
Here, tout does not mean all in a straightforward word-for-word way. You should learn en tout cas as one chunk meaning in any case or anyway.
Even though cas can look plural in form, the idiom stays:
- en tout cas
You do not change it to:
- en tous cas in normal modern usage
So for a learner, the safest approach is: memorize en tout cas as a set phrase.
What exactly does devis mean here?