French Phrase
Tu regardes ton portable ?
Meaning
Literally, “Are you looking at your phone?” It is used when you notice someone scrolling, texting, or otherwise focused on their mobile device and you want to check if they are paying attention to it.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal, spoken French – with friends, classmates, or coworkers you know well. It would sound too familiar in a formal setting or with someone you address with ‘vous’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Turegardestonportable?
Subject pronoun (Tu)
‘Tu’ is the informal second‑person singular pronoun used with friends, family, or peers.
Present indicative (regardes)
‘Regarder’ is conjugated in the present tense: je regarde, tu **regardes**, il/elle regarde… The –s ending marks the 2nd person singular.
Possessive adjective (ton)
‘Ton’ agrees with a masculine singular noun; it means ‘your’ (informal).
Noun (portable)
In France ‘portable’ is the everyday word for a mobile phone; it is masculine.
Question intonation
Raising the pitch at the end of the sentence (or adding a question mark) turns the statement into a yes/no question.
🗨In Conversation
Tu regardes ton portable ?
Are you looking at your phone?
Oui, je réponds à un message.
Yes, I’m replying to a message.
✕Common Mistakes
Tu regarde ton portable ?
Missing the –s for the 2nd person singular present tense.
Tu regardes ta portable ?
‘Portable’ is masculine; the correct possessive is ‘ton’.
Vous regardez votre portable ?
Switching to ‘vous’ changes the register; keep ‘tu’ for informal contexts.
Tu regardes ton téléphone ?
While correct, using ‘téléphone’ changes the register slightly; learners often mix the two without noticing the nuance.
↔Alternatives
Tu es sur ton portable ?
Are you on your phone?
Tu consultes ton téléphone ?
Are you checking your phone?
Tu regardes ton téléphone ?
Are you looking at your phone?
Cultural Tip
In France ‘portable’ is the standard word for a mobile phone, but younger speakers increasingly say ‘smartphone’ or simply ‘tel’. The phrase is informal; if you need to be polite, switch to ‘vous’ – e.g., ‘Vous regardez votre portable ?’. Also, note that ‘portable’ can refer to a laptop in some contexts, so the surrounding conversation usually makes the meaning clear.