Level B1 (Intermediate)
🎧 Audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a native speaker & professional voice artist from France
The French Word of the Day is tout à coup, meaning “suddenly”. It’s a handy little expression you’ll hear often when people tell stories or describe something unexpected. In the examples below, I’ll show you exactly how to use it naturally.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
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📘 Tout à coup meaning
Tout à coup is a French expression that translates literally to “all at one blow” and means “suddenly” or “all of a sudden”. You use it when something happens out of nowhere and catches people by surprise. It’s especially common in stories or spoken French when you want a little dramatic effect.
Soudain also means “suddenly”, but tout à coup feels a bit more conversational and vivid.
🎧 Tout à coup pronunciation
👉 The pronunciation of tout à coup is /tu‿ta ku/ — roughly “too tah koo”.
📝 French and English example sentences
Elle riait puis, tout à coup, elle est devenue sérieuse.
She was laughing and then, all of a sudden, she became serious.
Tout à coup, les lumières se sont éteintes.
All of a sudden, the lights went out.
Je parlais avec lui quand, tout à coup, il est parti.
I was talking with him when, all of a sudden, he left.
On mangeait tranquillement quand, tout à coup, quelqu’un a frappé.
We were eating quietly when, all of a sudden, someone knocked.
👉 See also: Soudain (suddenly) »
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❓ Tout à coup vs. tout d’un coup
Many students wonder about the difference between tout à coup and tout d’un coup. In reality, they mean the same thing and are used interchangeably — tout d’un coup is just a bit more casual.
🔗 Related words and expressions
- soudain — suddenly (more neutral or used in writing)
- tout d’un coup — all at once / suddenly
- brusquement — abruptly / sharply
- à l’improviste — unexpectedly / without warning
- d’un coup — all of a sudden / in one go
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