French Phrase
Fais attention à ce qui t'entoure.
Meaning
‘Pay attention to what surrounds you.’ The sentence is a friendly reminder to stay aware of the people, objects and sounds in your immediate environment, often for safety or mindfulness.
When to use
Use it in informal conversations when you want to caution a friend, a child, or a colleague to stay alert—e.g., walking in a busy street, exploring a new city, or during a sport activity. For a formal or plural audience, switch to ‘Faites attention…’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Faisattentionàcequit'entoure
Imperative of faire
‘Fais’ is the second‑person singular imperative of ‘faire’; it is used to give a direct command or advice.
Noun + preposition
‘Attention’ is a noun meaning ‘attention’; it is followed by the preposition ‘à’ to introduce what one should watch.
Relative pronoun ‘ce qui’
‘Ce qui’ means ‘what/that which’ and introduces a clause that functions as the object of the preposition ‘à’.
Pronoun placement with ‘t’entoure’
The reflexive pronoun ‘te’ contracts to ‘t’ before the vowel‑initial verb ‘entoure’; the verb stays in the present indicative (il/elle entoure).
Verb ‘entourer’
‘Entourer’ means ‘to surround’; in the third‑person singular present it is ‘entoure’.
🗨In Conversation
Je ne vois pas très bien les voitures qui passent.
I can’t see the cars that are passing very well.
Fais attention à ce qui t'entoure.
Pay attention to what surrounds you.
✕Common Mistakes
Fait attention à ce qui t'entoure.
The verb ‘faire’ must be conjugated to the imperative ‘fais’ for ‘tu’.
Fais attention à ce que t'entoure.
‘Ce qui’ (what) is required here, not ‘ce que’ (that which).
Fais attention à ce qui te entoure.
The reflexive pronoun must be attached to the verb; writing ‘te entoure’ is incorrect.
Fais attention à ce qui vous entoure.
Mixing ‘tu’ (fais) with ‘vous’ (vous entoure) is inconsistent; use either all ‘tu’ or all ‘vous’.
↔Alternatives
Sois attentif à ce qui t'entoure.
Be attentive to what surrounds you.
Fais gaffe à ce qui t'entoure.
Watch out for what’s around you. (colloquial)
Prête attention à ce qui t'entoure.
Give attention to what surrounds you.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘faire attention à’ is the standard way to tell someone to be careful. The imperative ‘Fais’ is informal; for a polite or plural form you would say ‘Faites attention à…’. Also note that ‘attention’ is a noun, not a verb, so you never say *‘faites attentionner’*.