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How to Say ‘So you're the oldest?’ in French

Tu es l'aînée, alors ?

too ay l' eh-NAY ah-lor

[too ay l' eh-NAY ah-lor]

💬 Usage Tip: Alors tacked on the end works like "so" or "then", showing you're drawing a conclusion from what you just heard.

Phrase Breakdown

Tu es l'aînée,

too ay l' eh-NAY

You are the eldest,

Say 'tu ay lay-NAY' with rounded lips for 'tu'.

Example

Tu es l'aînée de la famille.

You are the eldest in the family.

Words in this phrase

[too]

you (informal singular)

Informal subject pronoun “you”. Used with friends; common when discussing tastes in anime.

Example

Tu aimes les shōnen ?

Do you like shōnen?

[ay]

are

The form of the verb être used with tu, meaning are.

Example

Tu es en avance aujourd'hui.

You are early today.

[l']

the

Used before singular when the item is known.

Example

L'homme est là.

The man is there.

aînée

[eh-NAY]

eldest (female)

Feminine noun for the oldest child among siblings; masculine is « l'aîné ».

Example

Ma cousine est l'aînée de la famille.

My cousin is the eldest in the family.

alors ?

ah-lor

then?

Here 'alors' means 'so' or 'then'. Say 'a-LOR' with a rising tone.

Example

Tu viens, alors ?

Are you coming, then?

Words in this phrase

alors

[ah-lor]

so / then

Used to suggest, continue, or conclude in conversation.

Example

Alors, on se voit à 16h30 ?

So, shall we meet at 4:30 p.m.?

Guides for French learners

Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.Babbel vs Pimsleur: Reading Your Way In or Listening Your Way In?Babbel vs Pimsleur: short structured lessons on screen versus 30-minute audio lessons you answer out loud. Which gets you speaking, and which fits your day.

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