French Phrase
Signe ton nom au dos.
Meaning
The sentence is a direct instruction telling someone to write or sign their name on the back side of an object—usually a paper, ticket, or form. It is informal and uses the familiar ‘tu’ form.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual or semi‑formal situations when you need someone to add their name to the reverse side of a document: in classrooms, at the office, or when handing over a ticket. It would be too informal for a formal letter or legal contract.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Signetonnomaudos
Imperative (tu) of -er verbs
For regular -er verbs, the tu‑imperative drops the final -s: signer → signe.
Possessive adjective
‘ton’ agrees with a masculine singular noun (nom). Use ‘ta’ for feminine nouns.
Contraction ‘au’
‘au’ = à + le. It introduces the location where the action takes place.
Masculine noun ‘dos’
‘dos’ (back) is masculine; the article is le, which contracts to ‘au’.
🗨In Conversation
Voici le formulaire, remplis‑le s’il te plaît.
Here’s the form, please fill it out.
D’accord, je signe mon nom au dos.
Okay, I’ll sign my name on the back.
✕Common Mistakes
Signe ton nom sur le dos.
The preposition ‘sur’ is not used for the back side of a document; ‘au dos’ (or ‘au verso’) is correct.
Signez ton nom au dos.
‘Signez’ is the formal/plural imperative. Use ‘Signe’ when speaking to one person informally.
Signe ta nom au dos.
‘Nom’ is masculine, so the possessive must be ‘ton’, not ‘ta’.
↔Alternatives
Écris ton nom au verso.
Write your name on the back.
Appose ton nom au dos.
Affix your name on the back.
Mets ton nom au dos.
Put your name on the back.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘au dos’ is the everyday way to refer to the back side of paper or a ticket. In more formal or technical contexts you’ll hear ‘au verso’, especially in printing or legal language. Remember that ‘signer’ means to sign a document, not just to write a name; if you only need the name without a signature, ‘écrire’ or ‘mettre’ may be preferred.