🤔❓

How to Say ‘You must be Emily Smith?’ in French

Toi, tu dois être Emily Smith ?

twah tyoo dwah EH-truh

[twah tyoo dwah EH-truh]

💬 Usage Tip: The extra Toi at the front adds emphasis, like pointing at the person: "You, you must be...". French often doubles up this way in speech.

Phrase Breakdown

Toi, tu dois être

twah tyoo dwah EH-truh

You, you must be

'Toi' adds emphasis to who you are addressing. Pause briefly after 'toi' (sounds like 'twa').

Example

Toi, tu dois être Paul.

You must be Paul.

Words in this phrase

Toi

[twah]

you

Referring to the person or people someone is addressing.

Example

Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi.

I cannot live without you.

[tyoo]

you

An informal singular pronoun used to address one person.

Example

Tu travailles dans une start-up ou une grande entreprise ?

Do you work in a start-up or a large company?

dois

[dwah]

must / have to

Form of 'devoir' for 'je', expressing obligation.

Example

Je dois partir.

I have to leave.

être

[EH-truh]

to be

Infinitive of the basic verb 'to be'.

Example

Je veux être à l'heure.

I want to be on time.

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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