Learning French: from tout de suite to toot sweet

Many English speakers will already recognise the extremely common French saying, tout de suite, although it might be more familiar when written as: toot sweet. 

It is used in a range of formal and informal contexts to imply that something will happen right away.

No dilly-dallying! We will get straight into sharing how to use this key phrase in everyday conversations, and explain why it became popular with English-speaking soldiers during World War One.

What does tout de suite mean?

It literally translates as: all right now, or all in a row.

More appropriate English definitions, however, are: immediately or straightaway. 

Tout de suite is used to express the urgency of a situation or to imply that something will happen in an instant.

There are many synonyms for this popular saying:

• Aussitôt - Right away

• Dès que possible - As soon as possible

• Immédiatement - Immediately

• Sans délai - Without delay

• Sur-le-champ - On the spot

Read also: Understanding French false friends: common misinterpretations in English-French language exchange

From tout de suite to toot sweet

This classic French saying has been adopted by the English language since the mid-19th century. French speakers quite often skip the de in tout de suite, leading to the anglicised phonetic pronunciation: toot sweet. 

It gained popularity during World War One after English-speaking soldiers attempted to communicate with locals on the Western Front.

The expression has since taken on its own variations, such as, the tooter the sweeter, meaning, the sooner the better.

Toot-sweeter has also been cited as a military slang term to refer to a cannon, suggesting the fast-approaching nature of shells and bullets. 

Some people might also make a connection between tout de suite and the song Toot Sweets from the 1964 film, Mary Poppins. There is no concrete evidence however to suggest a direct link or influence.

When do you say tout de suite?

It can describe something that happened in an instant:

• J'ai tout de suite sympathisé avec mon nouveau collègue. - I instantly hit it off with my new colleague.

It can be used to give an order or emphasise the urgency of a task:

• Tu vas ranger ta chambre tout de suite. - You are going to tidy your room right now. 

You can even say it as a standalone response when promising to do something right away:

• Question: Tu peux me faire un café, s'il te plaît ? - Can you make me a coffee, please?

• Response: Oui, tout de suite. - Yes, right away.

You might also say this to express the idea of seeing someone within the next few minutes:

• Je suis devant chez toi, à tout de suite. - I’m in front of your house, see you in a minute.

Written ‘text-talk’ abbreviations can be: à tte or à tds.

Tout de suite can also be negated to imply something will not happen immediately:

• Sois patient, il nous reste encore deux heures de route. On n'arrive pas tout de suite. - Be patient, there is still a two hour drive ahead. We’re not there just yet. 

You will also hear just à toute to say 'see you later'. This will only be used orally.

Read also: 13 shortened words and phrases you will hear in spoken French

To whom do you say tout de suite?

It is neutral language, which means that it can be used in almost any situation, with friends, family or strangers.

Be careful, however, if using tout de suite while giving an order. It could come across as bossy, rude or disrespectful, especially if talking to an older person. 

Read also: Learning French: être dans le vent and other wind expressions