French Phrase
Des fois je les garde pour moi.
Meaning
This phrase expresses the act of keeping certain things, like secrets, thoughts, or physical items, private instead of sharing them. It uses the direct object pronoun 'les' to refer to a plural noun mentioned previously. It conveys a sense of personal boundaries or discretion.
When to use
Use this when someone asks why you haven't shared specific information or items with others. It's common in casual conversations about personal habits, secrets, or managing resources.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Des foisjelesgardepour moi
Des fois
A common informal alternative to 'parfois' meaning 'sometimes' or 'at times'.
les
This is a direct object pronoun used to replace a plural noun to avoid repetition.
garde
The present tense form of 'garder' (to keep) for the first person singular 'je'.
🗨In Conversation
Pourquoi tu ne nous as pas dit tes idées ?
Why didn't you tell us your ideas?
Des fois je les garde pour moi.
Sometimes I keep them for myself.
✕Common Mistakes
Des fois je garde les pour moi.
Object pronouns like 'les' must precede the conjugated verb in this sentence structure.
Parfois je les gardes pour moi.
The verb 'garder' conjugated for 'je' in the present tense is 'garde', without an 's'.
↔Alternatives
Parfois, je les garde pour moi.
Sometimes, I keep them for myself.
Je préfère les garder pour moi.
I prefer to keep them to myself.
Cultural Tip
French speakers often value their 'jardin secret' (secret garden), a private mental or emotional space. This phrase is a polite way to signal that you aren't ready to share everything, which is socially acceptable in France.