French Phrase
Les tacos font toujours un carton.
Meaning
The sentence means “Tacos are always a big hit.” It uses the idiom *faire un carton* – literally ‘to make a cardboard box’ – which in French colloquially means ‘to be a huge success’ or ‘to sell out’. The phrase is informal and often heard when talking about popular food, events or trends.
When to use
Use this expression when you want to comment on the consistent popularity of something, especially food, a TV show, a concert, or any product that keeps selling out. It works in casual conversation, social media posts, or when recommending a place to friends.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lestacosfonttoujoursuncarton
Les (definite article, plural)
Used before a plural noun to indicate a specific group; here it introduces the noun 'tacos'.
tacos (masculine plural noun)
A borrowed word from Spanish; in French it stays masculine and takes a regular plural -s.
font (faire, 3rd person plural present)
The verb 'faire' means 'to make/do'. In the idiom 'faire un carton' it means 'to be a hit'.
toujours (adverb)
Means 'always' and modifies the whole verb phrase.
un (indefinite article, singular masculine)
Introduces the noun 'carton' in the idiomatic expression.
carton (masculine singular noun, idiomatic)
Literally 'cardboard box', but in the expression 'faire un carton' it means 'a great success'.
🗨In Conversation
Les tacos font toujours un carton, tu ne trouves pas ?
Tacos are always a big hit, don’t you think?
Oui, tout le monde les adore ! On y va ce soir ?
Yes, everyone loves them! Shall we go tonight?
✕Common Mistakes
Les tacos fait toujours un carton.
The verb must agree with the plural subject 'tacos'; use 'font' not 'fait'.
Les tacos sont toujours un carton.
The idiom requires the verb *faire*; *être* does not convey the same meaning.
Les tacos font un toujours carton.
Placing *toujours* after *un* changes the rhythm and sounds unnatural; keep the adverb before the object.
↔Alternatives
Les tacos sont toujours très populaires.
Tacos are always very popular.
Les tacos rencontrent toujours un grand succès.
Tacos always enjoy great success.
Les tacos cartonnent à chaque fois.
Tacos always smash it.
Cultural Tip
In French, *carton* is rarely used in its literal sense of ‘cardboard box’ in everyday speech. The idiom *faire un carton* comes from the world of theater and publishing, where a ‘carton’ was a printed list of successful titles. Today it’s a lively way to say something is a hit. Remember that the idiom always uses the verb *faire*; you cannot replace it with *être* (e.g., *les tacos sont un carton* is incorrect). Also, while tacos are not a traditional French dish, they have become a staple of the French street‑food scene, especially in big cities like Paris and Lyon.