French Phrase
Éloigne‑toi des portes.
Meaning
Literally, “Move yourself away from the doors.” It is a direct, urgent instruction to keep a safe distance from any doors, often for safety or to avoid obstruction.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to warn someone to stay clear of doors – e.g., in a school hallway during fire drills, in a museum where doors open onto restricted areas, or on a construction site where doors may lead to hazardous zones.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Éloigne-toidesportes
Imperative of reflexive verb
For reflexive verbs in the imperative, the reflexive pronoun follows the verb and is attached with a hyphen (e.g., « Éloigne‑toi »).
Contraction « des »
« des » is the contraction of « de » + « les » and is used before a plural noun.
Verb agreement
The verb stays in the second‑person singular form (‑e) regardless of the noun that follows.
🗨In Conversation
Éloigne‑toi des portes, s’il te plaît.
Please stay away from the doors.
D’accord, je resterai à l’écart.
Okay, I’ll keep my distance.
✕Common Mistakes
Éloigne toi des portes.
Missing hyphen; the reflexive pronoun must be attached to the verb in the imperative.
Éloigne‑toi de les portes.
Incorrect separation; French contracts « de » + « les » to « des ».
Éloigne‑toi de la porte.
Singular noun changes the meaning; the phrase refers to multiple doors.
↔Alternatives
Ne t'approche pas des portes.
Don’t approach the doors.
Reste loin des portes.
Stay far from the doors.
Évite les portes.
Avoid the doors.
Cultural Tip
In French, the imperative of a reflexive verb always attaches the pronoun with a hyphen, and the pronoun changes form (toi, nous, vous). Also, avoid using the informal « tu » after the verb; the pronoun itself conveys the second‑person command. The contraction « des » is mandatory before a plural noun – saying « de les portes » sounds ungrammatical to native speakers.