French Phrase
Mets ton adresse en haut à gauche.
Meaning
A direct instruction telling someone to place their address in the upper‑left corner of a page, form, or document. It is an informal command, suitable for a peer or a student.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are giving layout directions for a letter, résumé, email signature, or any printed form that requires the address to be positioned at the top left.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Metstonadresseenhautàgauche.
Imperative (tu) of mettre
‘Mets’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘mettre’; note the final –s is kept because the following word begins with a vowel sound.
Possessive adjective ‘ton’
‘ton’ agrees with the masculine singular noun ‘adresse’; it means ‘your’ (informal).
Spatial phrase ‘en haut à gauche’
‘en haut’ means ‘at the top’, and ‘à gauche’ means ‘to the left’; together they form a fixed locative expression meaning ‘top‑left’.
Preposition choice ‘en’ vs ‘à’
‘en’ is used with ‘haut’ to indicate a vertical position, while ‘à’ is used with ‘gauche’ to indicate a horizontal direction.
Punctuation
The period at the end marks the sentence as a complete command.
🗨In Conversation
Où dois‑je mettre mon adresse ?
Where should I put my address?
Mets ton adresse en haut à gauche.
Put your address at the top left.
✕Common Mistakes
Met ton adresse en haut à gauche.
The imperative of ‘mettre’ for ‘tu’ must keep the final –s (Mets) when the next word starts with a vowel sound.
Mets ton adresse à haut à gauche.
‘En haut’ is the correct preposition for vertical position; ‘à haut’ is ungrammatical.
Mets ta adresse en haut à gauche.
‘Adresse’ is masculine, so the possessive must be ‘ton’, not ‘ta’.
↔Alternatives
Place ton adresse en haut à gauche.
Place your address at the top left.
Écris ton adresse en haut à gauche.
Write your address at the top left.
Positionne ton adresse en haut à gauche.
Position your address at the top left.
Cultural Tip
In traditional French business letters, the sender’s address is indeed placed in the upper‑left corner, while the recipient’s address goes on the right. In modern email signatures, the address is often omitted or moved to the bottom, so be aware of the context before using this layout instruction.