French Phrase
Va tout droit.
Meaning
Literally ‘Go straight ahead.’ It’s the go‑to phrase for giving someone a simple direction on a street or hallway.
When to use
Use it when you’re pointing someone toward a destination in a neutral or informal setting, typically when speaking to one person you know or a stranger on the street.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vatoutdroit.
Imperative of aller
‘Va’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘aller’ (to go). In the affirmative imperative, the final –s of ‘vas’ is dropped.
Adverbial phrase ‘tout droit’
‘Tout’ functions as an adverb meaning ‘completely’ and together with ‘droit’ forms a fixed expression meaning ‘straight ahead’. It is pronounced /tu/ before the masculine ‘droit’.
No subject pronoun
In French imperatives, the subject pronoun (tu) is omitted, so you say ‘Va…’ not ‘Tu vas…’.
🗨In Conversation
Excusez‑moi, comment puis‑je arriver à la gare ?
Excuse me, how can I get to the train station?
Va tout droit, puis tourne à gauche au feu.
Go straight ahead, then turn left at the traffic light.
✕Common Mistakes
Vas tout droit.
In the affirmative imperative, the –s of ‘vas’ is dropped; the correct form is ‘va’.
Va toute droite.
‘Tout droit’ is a fixed adverbial phrase; it never takes a feminine ending.
Va tout droites.
‘Tout droit’ does not change for number or gender; adding –es is incorrect.
↔Alternatives
Allez tout droit.
Go straight ahead. (formal or plural)
Prenez tout droit.
Take a straight path.
Continuez tout droit.
Continue straight ahead.
Cultural Tip
In French, giving directions is often done with the imperative, and ‘tout droit’ is a set phrase that works in both spoken and written directions. Avoid adding an extra ‘s’ to ‘va’ (i.e., don’t say ‘vas tout droit’) because the imperative drops the final –s. The phrase can also be used figuratively, e.g., ‘Il va tout droit à la faillite’ – ‘He’s heading straight for bankruptcy.’