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How to Say ‘There are roadworks’ in French

Il y a des travaux

eel ee ah day tra-VOH

[eel ee ah day tra-VOH]

💬 Usage Tip: Travaux is always plural for construction or roadworks. The singular travail means "work" or "job".

Phrase Breakdown

Il y a

eel ee ah

There are

'Il y a' means 'there is/there are'. Say 'ee-lee-a'. Casually, it often sounds like 'ya'.

Example

Il y a du bruit.

There's some noise.

Words in this phrase

[eel]

there

At or in that place.

Example

Il y a une surprise pour toi.

There is a surprise for you.

[ee]

there

In or at that place.

Example

Y a-t-il une solution?

Is there a solution?

[ah]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est un bon film.

It is a good movie.

des travaux

day tra-VOH

roadworks / construction

'Travaux' (plural) means construction work or roadworks. The final 'x' is silent: 'dé-tra-vo'.

Example

Attention, travaux !

Caution, roadworks!

Words in this phrase

des

[day]

some / plural indefinite article

Plural article used before nouns when speaking generally about unspecified people or things.

Example

Des profils polyvalents sont très recherchés aujourd'hui.

Versatile profiles are highly sought after today.

travaux

[tra-VOH]

roadworks

Plural of « travail »; here construction work on the road.

Example

Les travaux bloquent la rue.

The roadworks block the street.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.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.

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