Tu n’as qu’à regarder la ponctuation pour savoir où faire une pause.

Tu n’as qu’à + infinitive is a very common French pattern meaning you just have to... or all you need to do is...

So:

• Tu n’as qu’à regarder... = You just have to look...

Literally, it comes from ne... que, which often means only:

• Tu n’as qu’à regarder = You only have to look

In everyday French, this structure often sounds like a simple suggestion or instruction.

Tu is the informal singular you. It is used when speaking to:

• one friend
• one child
• someone you know well
• sometimes in general instructions, in a casual tone

If you wanted the formal or plural version, you would say:

• Vous n’avez qu’à regarder la ponctuation...

So the grammar is the same; only the subject changes.

This is because of elision in French: a vowel is dropped before another vowel sound.

1. ne + as → n’as

Instead of saying ne as, French contracts it to:

• Tu n’as...

2. que + à → qu’à

Instead of que à, French becomes:

• qu’à

This happens very often in French and is something learners see all the time.

Because after n’avoir qu’à, the next verb stays in the infinitive.

So:

• Tu n’as qu’à regarder = You just have to look
• not Tu n’as qu’à regardes

This is similar to English in a way:

• You have to look
• not You have to looks

The only conjugated verb here is as from avoir.

Yes, ne is often part of negation, but ne... que is a special expression meaning only.

Examples:

• Je n’ai qu’un frère. = I only have one brother.
• Il ne mange que des légumes. = He only eats vegetables.

So in your sentence:

• Tu n’as qu’à regarder... means
• You only have to look...
• more naturally: You just have to look...

So this is not a full negative meaning like do not. It is a limiting meaning: only.

Pour + infinitive often expresses purpose, meaning:

• to
• in order to

So:

• pour savoir = to know / in order to know

In the full sentence:

• ...regarder la ponctuation pour savoir... = ...look at the punctuation to know... = more natural English: ...look at the punctuation to tell...

It explains why you are looking at the punctuation.

Because où means where.

French has two different words:

• où = where
• ou = or

So here:

• où faire une pause = where to pause

The accent is important because it changes the meaning.

Literally, it means:

• where to make a pause

But in natural English, you would usually say:

• where to pause
• where to take a pause
• where to stop briefly

French often uses faire une pause as a set expression meaning to take a break or to pause.

So:

• savoir où faire une pause = to know where to pause

French often prefers a verb + noun expression where English might use a single verb.

Here:

• faire une pause = to pause / to take a pause

This is a normal, idiomatic French expression.

You may also see similar patterns like:

• faire attention = to pay attention
• faire un effort = to make an effort
• faire une promenade = to take a walk

So faire une pause is just a natural French way to express the idea.

French often uses an article where English might not.

So French says:

• regarder la ponctuation

where English more naturally says:

• look at punctuation or
• look at the punctuation

Both are possible in English, but French generally likes the article here.

Also, ponctuation is a feminine noun, so it takes:

• la ponctuation

A fairly literal breakdown would be:

• Tu = you
• n’as qu’à = only have to / just have to
• regarder = look at
• la ponctuation = the punctuation
• pour savoir = to know / in order to know
• où = where
• faire une pause = to make/take a pause

So a literal version is:

• You only have to look at the punctuation to know where to pause.

A more natural English translation is:

• You just have to look at the punctuation to know where to pause.