French Phrase
C'est une discussion en tête-à-tête ?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether the current conversation is meant to be private, a one‑on‑one talk. It can imply curiosity about the level of intimacy or confidentiality expected.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to confirm that a meeting, interview, or chat is intended to be private, such as before a job interview, a personal confession, or a confidential business negotiation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'estunediscussionentête-à-tête?
C'est
Contraction of "ce est"; used to point out or identify something. In questions, it can be inverted to "Est‑ce que" for formality.
une (feminine article)
"Discussion" is a feminine noun, so the indefinite article must agree in gender.
en (preposition)
Introduces a manner or circumstance; here it means "in" or "as" a certain way.
tête‑à‑tête
A fixed expression meaning a private, one‑on‑one conversation. It is hyphenated and treated as a noun.
Question mark placement
In French, the question mark follows the whole sentence without extra spacing.
🗨In Conversation
C'est une discussion en tête-à-tête ?
Is this a one‑on‑one discussion?
Oui, je voulais parler de ton projet en toute confidentialité.
Yes, I wanted to talk about your project in confidence.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est un discussion en tête-à-tête ?
"Discussion" is feminine; the article must be "une".
C'est une discussion en tête à tête ?
The expression is hyphenated and includes the preposition "en".
C'est une discussion tête‑à‑tête ?
Missing the preposition "en" which links the expression to the noun.
↔Alternatives
Est‑ce une conversation en tête‑à‑tête ?
Is it a one‑on‑one conversation?
Parlons‑nous en tête‑à‑tête ?
Shall we speak privately?
C’est une discussion privée ?
Is this a private discussion?
Cultural Tip
In French, "tête‑à‑tête" carries a slightly intimate nuance. It’s perfectly fine in professional settings when confidentiality is required, but in very formal business contexts you might prefer "réunion en privé" to avoid any implication of personal intimacy.