French Phrase
Garde les portes fermées à clé quand tu conduis.
Meaning
The sentence tells someone to keep the car doors locked while they are driving. It is a safety recommendation that helps prevent theft or accidental opening of doors.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving driving‑safety advice, especially to new drivers, teenagers, or anyone who might forget to lock the doors. It’s common in driving lessons, parental reminders, or safety briefings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Gardelesportesferméesàcléquandtuconduis.
Impératif (Garde)
‘Garde’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘garder’, used for giving direct advice or commands.
Accord de l’adjectif (fermées)
‘Fermées’ agrees in gender and number with ‘portes’ (feminine plural), so the adjective takes the –es ending.
Locution prépositive (à clé)
‘À clé’ means ‘locked with a key’; the preposition ‘à’ introduces the means by which the doors are kept closed.
Conjonction temporelle (quand)
‘Quand’ introduces a temporal clause, linking the main advice to the condition ‘when you drive’.
Pronoms sujets (tu)
The informal ‘tu’ is used here because the advice is likely given to a peer or a child; for formal contexts use ‘vous’.
🗨In Conversation
Garde les portes fermées à clé quand tu conduis.
Keep the doors locked when you drive.
D’accord, je le ferai toujours à l’avenir.
Okay, I’ll always do that from now on.
✕Common Mistakes
Garde les portes fermé à clé quand tu conduis.
The adjective must agree with the plural feminine noun ‘portes’, so it should be ‘fermées’.
Garde les portes fermées à clé quand tu conduisez.
Mixing informal ‘tu’ with the formal verb form ‘conduisez’ is inconsistent; use either ‘tu conduis’ or ‘vous conduisez’.
Garde les portes fermées a cle quand tu conduis.
The word ‘clé’ needs an accent aigu (é) and the preposition ‘à’ stays unchanged.
↔Alternatives
Assure-toi que les portes sont verrouillées pendant que tu conduis.
Make sure the doors are locked while you drive.
Verrouille les portes dès que tu mets le moteur en marche.
Lock the doors as soon as you start the engine.
N’oublie pas de fermer les portes à clé quand tu conduis.
Don’t forget to keep the doors locked when you drive.
Cultural Tip
In France, locking car doors while driving is a standard habit, even when you’re alone, because car break‑ins are common in urban areas. Using the informal ‘tu’ is typical among friends or when a parent talks to a child; switch to ‘vous’ for a more formal or professional tone.