French Phrase
Tiens, mon passeport.
Meaning
A short, informal way to hand over your passport to someone, equivalent to ‘Here, my passport.’ The comma signals a brief pause, separating the interjection from the noun phrase.
When to use
Use it when you are giving your passport to a border officer, hotel receptionist, a friend, or anyone who asks to see it. In very formal settings you might prefer ‘Voici mon passeport.’
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tiens,monpasseport.
Tiens (imperative)
‘Tiens’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb *tenir* (to hold, to give). It is used like ‘here you go’ when handing something over.
mon (possessive adjective)
‘mon’ agrees in gender and number with the noun that follows; it means ‘my’ for masculine singular nouns.
passeport (noun)
‘passeport’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘passport’. It is pronounced with a silent final ‘t’.
🗨In Conversation
Pouvez‑vous me montrer votre passeport, s’il vous plaît ?
Could you show me your passport, please?
Tiens, mon passeport.
Here, my passport.
✕Common Mistakes
Tien, mon passeport.
‘tien’ is a possessive pronoun meaning ‘yours’; the correct imperative form is ‘tiens’ with an ‘s’.
Tiens mon passeport.
Without the comma the phrase can be misinterpreted as ‘hold my passport’ rather than ‘here’s my passport’. Add a pause or use ‘Voici’.
Tiens, ma passeport.
Do not use the feminine possessive ‘ma’ – ‘passeport’ is masculine, so it must be ‘mon’.
↔Alternatives
Voici mon passeport.
Here is my passport.
Je vous le donne, mon passeport.
I’m giving it to you, my passport.
Voilà mon passeport.
There’s my passport.
Cultural Tip
‘Tiens’ is informal and works well in spoken French among acquaintances or in casual service encounters. In a formal environment (e.g., at an embassy) you’ll hear ‘Voici’ or ‘Je vous le remets’. Also, remember that ‘tiens’ can be used with many objects – ‘Tiens, le livre.’ – so the intonation and pause are key to avoid sounding like you’re asking someone to hold something for you.