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How to Say ‘We're not quite there’ in French

On n'y est pas tout à fait

on n ee eh pah TOO AH FEH

[on n ee eh pah TOO AH FEH]

🇫🇷 In France: A polite way to tell a driver he has stopped short, without accusing him of anything.

Phrase Breakdown

On n'y est pas

on n ee eh pah

We're not there

Say it smoothly in one flow: 'on-ni-é-pa'.

Example

On n'y est pas encore.

We're not there yet.

Words in this phrase

[on]

Used by a speaker to refer to themself and one or more other people considered together.

Example

On y va maintenant.

We are going now.

[n]

not

Used to indicate negation or absence.

Example

Ce distributeur n'est pas encore disponible.

This ATM is not available yet.

[ee]

there

In or at that place.

Example

Y a-t-il une solution?

Is there a solution?

est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

pas

[pah]

not

Used with 'ne' to form a negative.

Example

Je ne comprends pas.

I do not understand.

tout à fait

TOO AH FEH

quite

After a negation, this means 'not quite'. Say 'tou-ta-fè'.

Example

Ce n'est pas tout à fait ça.

That's not quite it.

Words in this phrase

tout

[TOO]

quite (in 'tout à fait')

Part of the expression 'tout à fait', meaning completely or quite.

Example

C'est tout à fait vrai.

That's quite true.

[AH]

at (in 'tout à fait')

Preposition, part of the fixed phrase 'tout à fait'.

Example

Je suis tout à fait d'accord.

I completely agree.

fait

[FEH]

done (in 'tout à fait')

Past participle of 'faire', here part of 'tout à fait' (quite, entirely).

Example

Pas tout à fait.

Not quite.

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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