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How to Say ‘And your boss, was he there?’ in French

Et ton patron, il était là ?

eh tohn pah-TROHN eel ay-TAY lah

[eh tohn pah-TROHN eel ay-TAY lah]

💬 Usage Tip: Spoken French often names the person first, then repeats them with il or elle. Another example is Ta sœur, elle va bien ? "Your sister, is she well?"

Phrase Breakdown

Et ton patron,

eh tohn pah-TROHN

And your boss,

'Patron' means boss. Naming the topic first and then repeating it with 'il' is very common in spoken French.

Example

Mon patron est sympa.

My boss is nice.

Words in this phrase

Et

[eh]

and

Joins two thoughts or questions together.

Example

Et vous êtes venu aussi?

And did you come too?

ton

[tohn]

your

A possessive form of you, indicating ownership.

Example

Ton ami est ici.

Your friend is here.

patron

[pah-TROHN]

boss

The person in charge at work or the owner of a business.

Example

Mon patron est sympa.

My boss is nice.

il était là ?

eel ay-TAY lah

was he there?

'Il' refers back to the boss. Make a liaison sound: 'ee-lay-tay LA'.

Example

Ton frère, il était là ?

Your brother, was he there?

Words in this phrase

il

[eel]

he

Third person singular subject pronoun.

Example

Il est heureux.

He is happy.

était

[ay-TAY]

was

Imperfect form of 'être' meaning 'was' or 'used to be.'

Example

C'était un moment agréable pour parler de nos projets.

It was a pleasant moment to talk about our projects.

là

[lah]

there, here, present

With 'être', it means someone is present.

Example

Paul n'est pas là.

Paul isn't here.

Related guides

French Conversation for Beginners: 6 Everyday Dialogues You'll Actually UseSix basic French conversations for beginners, from greeting a neighbour and introducing yourself to booking a restaurant, with translations, native audio and the phrases that keep them going.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.

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