French Phrase
Les pilotes sont à jour ?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the computer's drivers (software that lets the operating system communicate with hardware) are current. It is a quick check often made before troubleshooting or installing new software.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are performing routine maintenance on a PC, helping a colleague with a technical issue, or during a remote support call to verify that the hardware drivers have been updated.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lespilotessontàjour?
Les (definite article, plural)
Used before a plural noun to indicate a specific group, here 'pilotes' (drivers).
pilotes (noun, masculine plural)
In tech French, 'pilote' refers to a software driver; it follows the regular -e ending for masculine nouns.
sont (être, 3rd person plural)
The present tense of 'être' agreeing with the plural subject 'les pilotes'.
à jour (idiom)
Literally 'to the day', meaning 'up to date' or 'current'. It is invariable and follows the verb.
Question intonation without inversion
In spoken French, a simple rising intonation after a declarative sentence can turn it into a question, as shown here.
🗨In Conversation
Les pilotes sont à jour ?
Are the drivers up to date?
Oui, je les ai mis à jour hier soir.
Yes, I updated them last night.
✕Common Mistakes
Les pilotes est à jour ?
The verb must agree with the plural subject 'les pilotes'. Use 'sont' not 'est'.
Pilotes sont à jour ?
Missing the article 'les' makes the phrase sound incomplete.
Les pilotes sont à jourE ?
Do not add an 'e' (à jourE) – the idiom is invariable.
↔Alternatives
Les drivers sont à jour ?
Are the drivers up to date?
Les pilotes sont-ils à jour ?
Are the drivers up to date?
Les pilotes sont à jour maintenant ?
Are the drivers up to date now?
Cultural Tip
In French tech circles, 'pilote' is the standard term for a software driver, while 'driver' (anglicism) is also common, especially in informal chats. The expression 'être à jour' is widely used beyond tech, meaning anything that is current (e.g., a calendar, a document). When speaking formally, you might prefer the inverted form 'Les pilotes sont‑ils à jour ?' but the rising‑intonation version is perfectly natural in everyday conversation.