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French Phrase

Fais gaffe à tes poches et tes sacs.

/fɛ ɡaf a te pɔʃ e te sak/
Meaning"Watch out for your pockets and your bags."
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Meaning

Literally, ‘Be careful about your pockets and your bags.’ It’s a friendly warning to keep an eye on personal belongings, especially in crowded or touristy places where pickpocketing is common.

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When to use

Use this informal phrase with friends, fellow travelers, or anyone you’re speaking to casually. It’s perfect for markets, metros, festivals, or any situation where belongings might be at risk.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Faisgaffeàtespochesettessacs

1

Imperative of faire

‘Fais’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘faire’, used to give a direct command.

2

Faire gaffe

‘Faire gaffe’ is a colloquial expression meaning ‘to be careful / watch out’. The noun ‘gaffe’ (mistake) is used idiomatically here.

3

Preposition à

‘à’ introduces the object of the caution – what you should watch out for.

4

Possessive adjective tes

‘tes’ agrees with the plural nouns that follow (poches, sacs).

5

Plural nouns

Both ‘poches’ (pockets) and ‘sacs’ (bags) are plural, so the possessive stays ‘tes’.

6

Conjunction et

‘et’ simply links the two items you need to protect.

🗨In Conversation

A

Fais gaffe à tes poches et tes sacs.

Watch out for your pockets and your bags.

Merci, je ferai attention.

Thanks, I’ll be careful.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Faites gaffe à tes poches et tes sacs.

    ‘Faites gaffe’ is the formal/plural form; with a single friend you should use the informal singular ‘Fais gaffe’.

  • Fais gaffe à tes poches et tes sac.

    ‘Sacs’ is plural, so the possessive must stay ‘tes’ and the noun must be plural as well.

  • Fais gaffe à votre poches et vos sacs.

    The possessive ‘votre’ is singular; it must agree with the plural noun ‘poches’ → ‘vos poches’.

↔Alternatives

  • Fais attention à tes poches et à tes sacs.

    Pay attention to your pockets and your bags.

  • Surveille tes poches et tes sacs.

    Keep an eye on your pockets and your bags.

  • Ne laisse pas tes poches et tes sacs sans surveillance.

    Don’t leave your pockets and bags unattended.

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Cultural Tip

‘Faire gaffe’ is very colloquial; it’s great for spoken French but should be avoided in formal writing or business emails. In some regions of France, people might prefer ‘faire attention’ instead. Also note that ‘gaffe’ on its own means ‘mistake’, so the meaning changes completely if you drop the verb ‘faire’.