French Phrase
Les livres de cuisine, c'est mon truc.
Meaning
Literally, ‘Cookbooks, that’s my thing.’ It’s an informal way to say that you love or are especially interested in cookbooks.
When to use
Use this sentence in casual conversation when you want to talk about a hobby or personal interest, especially with friends or peers. It’s too informal for a formal presentation or a business email.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Leslivresdecuisine,c'estmontruc.
Definite article (les)
‘Les’ is the plural definite article used before a masculine or feminine noun in the plural.
Noun + prepositional phrase (livres de cuisine)
‘Livres de cuisine’ means ‘cookbooks’; ‘de’ links the noun ‘livres’ with the type ‘cuisine’.
c’est = ce + est
‘c’est’ is the contraction of ‘ce’ (this/that) and ‘est’ (is) and is used to identify or describe something.
Possessive adjective (mon)
‘Mon’ agrees with a singular masculine noun; it means ‘my’.
Truc (colloquial)
‘Truc’ is an informal word meaning ‘thing’, ‘thing I’m good at’, or ‘my thing’.
Structure ‘c’est + noun’ for personal preference
To say ‘it’s my thing’, French uses the pattern ‘c’est + noun/adjective’, not ‘est + noun’.
🗨In Conversation
Qu'est-ce que tu aimes lire pendant ton temps libre ?
What do you like to read in your free time?
Les livres de cuisine, c'est mon truc.
Cookbooks are my thing.
✕Common Mistakes
Les livres de cuisine sont mon truc.
Use ‘c’est’ (it is) instead of ‘sont’ (they are) when the subject is a whole idea or activity.
Les livres de cuisine, c'est mes truc.
‘Truc’ is singular masculine, so the possessive must be ‘mon’, not ‘mes’.
Les livres de cuisine, c'est mon trucs.
‘Truc’ stays singular; adding an ‘s’ makes it grammatically incorrect.
↔Alternatives
J'adore les livres de cuisine.
I love cookbooks.
Les livres de cuisine, c'est ma passion.
Cookbooks are my passion.
Je suis fan des livres de cuisine.
I'm a fan of cookbooks.
Cultural Tip
‘C’est mon truc’ is a colloquial expression that works well in everyday speech, especially among younger speakers. In a formal setting you’d replace it with something like ‘J’ai un grand intérêt pour les livres de cuisine.’ Also, French speakers often add a pause (comma) before ‘c’est’ to emphasize the contrast, just as shown in the written sentence.