French Phrase
Fais gaffe à ton portefeuille et à ton portable.
Meaning
A friendly, informal warning that tells someone to keep an eye on both their wallet and their mobile phone, especially in crowded or risky situations.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re looking out for a friend in a market, on the metro, at a party, or any place where pickpockets might be around. It’s casual, so it fits conversations with peers rather than formal settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Faisgaffeàtonportefeuilleetàtonportable
Imperative of faire
‘Fais’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘faire’, used here to give a direct command.
Faire gaffe
A colloquial expression meaning ‘to be careful / watch out’. The noun ‘gaffe’ (a slip) is paired with ‘faire’ to create the idiom.
Preposition à + object
In ‘faire gaffe à’, the preposition ‘à’ introduces the thing you must be careful about.
Possessive adjective ton
‘ton’ agrees with the masculine singular nouns ‘portefeuille’ and ‘portable’ and indicates that the items belong to the listener.
Conjunction et
‘et’ simply links the two objects that need protection.
🗨In Conversation
Fais gaffe à ton portefeuille et à ton portable.
Watch out for your wallet and your phone.
Merci, je ferai attention.
Thanks, I’ll be careful.
✕Common Mistakes
Fais gaffe sur ton portefeuille.
The idiom uses ‘à’, not ‘sur’. ‘Faire gaffe sur’ is incorrect.
Fais gaffe à ton portable et à ton portefeuille.
Do not swap the nouns; ‘portefeuille’ is the wallet, ‘portable’ is the phone.
Faites gaffe à ton portefeuille.
When using the plural/formal imperative ‘Faites’, the possessive should also be plural or formal (e.g., ‘votre’).
↔Alternatives
Fais attention à ton portefeuille et à ton téléphone.
Pay attention to your wallet and your phone.
Prends garde à ton porte‑monnaie et à ton mobile.
Take care of your purse and your mobile.
Surveille bien ton portefeuille et ton portable.
Keep a close eye on your wallet and your phone.
Cultural Tip
‘Faire gaffe’ is slang and perfectly natural in everyday conversation, but you’ll want to replace it with ‘faire attention’ in formal writing or when speaking to strangers. In France, ‘portable’ is the common word for a mobile phone, though younger speakers may also say ‘smartphone’ or simply ‘tel’. ‘Portefeuille’ is the standard term for a wallet; ‘porte‑monnaie’ is more informal and often used for a small coin purse.