French Phrase
T'as des cartons à vendre ?
Meaning
Literally, 'Do you have some boxes to sell?' It is an informal way to ask whether someone is offering cardboard boxes, often for moving, storage, or resale. The phrase can also be used figuratively to ask if someone has any leftover items they want to get rid of.
When to use
Use this sentence in casual settings—among friends, at a flea market, or when you spot someone with a stack of boxes. It’s too informal for a formal business email, where you’d say « Vous avez des cartons à vendre ? ».
✦Grammar Breakdown
T'asdescartonsàvendre?
Contraction T'as
T'as is the spoken contraction of Tu as. It is informal and used in everyday conversation.
Indefinite article des
Des is the plural indefinite article meaning 'some' or 'any' in questions.
Noun plural cartons
Cartons is a masculine plural noun meaning 'boxes' (often cardboard boxes).
Preposition à + infinitive
The construction à + infinitive (à vendre) expresses purpose or function: 'to sell'.
Question intonation
In spoken French, the rising intonation at the end signals a yes‑no question; the written form can also use est‑ce que.
🗨In Conversation
T'as des cartons à vendre ?
Do you have any boxes to sell?
Oui, j'en ai trois, ils sont en bon état.
Yes, I have three, they're in good condition.
✕Common Mistakes
As des cartons à vendre ?
In spoken French you need the contraction T'as; using just 'as' sounds like a written, formal style and is rarely heard.
T'as les cartons à vendre ?
Using the definite article 'les' changes the meaning to specific boxes already known, not 'any' boxes.
T'as des cartons à vendrez ?
The infinitive 'vendre' is required after à; 'vendrez' would be a conjugated future form and is grammatically incorrect here.
↔Alternatives
Tu as des cartons à vendre ?
Do you have any boxes to sell?
Est‑ce que tu vends des cartons ?
Are you selling any boxes?
Vous avez des cartons à vendre ?
Do you have any boxes to sell? (formal/plural)
Il y a des cartons à vendre ici ?
Are there any boxes for sale here?
Cultural Tip
In France, it’s common to reuse cardboard boxes for moving or storage, so people often ask around before buying new ones. The contraction T'as signals familiarity; using it with strangers can sound overly familiar, so switch to « Vous avez » in a more polite context. Also, note that « carton » can refer to a TV set in slang, but in this sentence the literal meaning is a cardboard box.