French Phrase
Évite les ruelles sombres.
Meaning
‘Avoid the dark alleys.’ The speaker is warning someone to stay away from poorly lit, potentially unsafe passageways.
When to use
Use this sentence when giving informal safety advice, especially in a city setting at night, or when you want to caution a friend about a risky shortcut.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Évitelesruellessombres.
Évite (imperative)
Évite is the second‑person singular imperative of éviter, used to give a direct command or advice.
les (definite article)
les is the plural definite article, used before both masculine and feminine nouns.
ruelles (noun, fem. pl.)
ruelle means a narrow street or alley; it is feminine, so its plural form is ruelles.
sombres (adjective agreement)
sombre means ‘dark’; in the plural it takes an –s to agree with the feminine plural noun ruelles.
🗨In Conversation
Évite les ruelles sombres.
Avoid the dark alleys.
D'accord, je resterai sur les rues principales.
Okay, I’ll stay on the main streets.
✕Common Mistakes
Éviter les ruelles sombres.
Missing the imperative ending; you need Évite (or Évitez) to give a command.
Évite les ruelles sombre.
Adjective must agree in number and gender with ruelles (feminine plural).
Évitez les ruelles sombres.
Correct form for formal/plural, but wrong if you’re speaking to a single friend in an informal setting.
↔Alternatives
Ne prends pas les ruelles sombres.
Don’t take the dark alleys.
Fais attention aux ruelles sombres.
Be careful of the dark alleys.
Évitez les ruelles sombres.
Avoid the dark alleys. (formal/plural)
Cultural Tip
In many French towns, narrow alleys (ruelles) can be poorly lit after dark and are sometimes associated with petty crime. Locals usually stick to well‑lit boulevards or main streets at night. The informal imperative Évite is perfect for a friendly warning, but switch to Évitez if you’re speaking to a group or someone you don’t know well.