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How to Say ‘That was really close.’ in French

C'était vraiment tout près.

suh ay-TAY vray-MAHN too preh

[suh ay-TAY vray-MAHN too preh]

💬 Usage Tip: Here tout doesn't mean "all". It strengthens the next word, like "right": tout près is "right close", tout de suite "right away".

Phrase Breakdown

C'était vraiment

suh ay-TAY vray-MAHN

It was really

Say 'say-teh vreh-MAHN' with a nasal final sound. Don't pronounce the T at the end.

Example

C'était vraiment bien.

It was really good.

Words in this phrase

[suh]

Used to refer to a thing previously mentioned.

Example

C'est incroyable.

It is incredible.

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.

vraiment

[vray-MAHN]

really

Adverb used to emphasize something.

Example

Le match est vraiment intense.

The match is really intense.

tout près.

too preh

very close.

Say 'too PREH'. Both final consonants are silent. 'Tout' strengthens 'près' (close).

Example

La gare est tout près.

The station is very close.

Words in this phrase

tout

[too]

very / quite

Used before an adjective or adverb to intensify it, like 'very'.

Example

Le stade est tout près d'ici.

The stadium is very close to here.

près

[preh]

near

Used to indicate closeness or proximity to something.

Example

La rampe est près de l'entrée.

The ramp is near the entrance.

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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