Formed from vois, the singular imperative of voir (“to see”), and là (“there”). It is recorded from the 14th century in forms such as vela.
Pointing out or presenting
adverb
communication
neutral
Draws attention to a person or thing, often meaning “there is,” “here is,” or “there you are.” In everyday speech it is also common for things close to the speaker.
Examples
- Regarde, voilà le bus qui arrive.Look, there’s the bus coming.
- Voilà mes parents, Paul et Nadia.Here are my parents, Paul and Nadia.
- Ah, te voilà enfin !Ah, there you are at last!
- Sur la photo, voilà la maison où je suis né.In the photo, there is the house where I was born.
- Les clés ? Les voilà sur la table.The keys? There they are on the table.
Similar words
voici
tiens
regarde
Showing a result or conclusion
adverb
communication
neutral
Introduces a result, explanation, conclusion, or completed action, often with the force of “there you go,” “that is why,” or “that is it.”
Examples
- J’ai ajouté un peu de sel, et voilà, la sauce est prête.I added a little salt, and there you go, the sauce is ready.
- Voilà pourquoi je préfère partir tôt.That’s why I prefer to leave early.
- On clique ici, puis là, et voilà !Click here, then there, and there you go!
- C’est tout ce que je voulais dire, voilà.That’s all I wanted to say, that’s it.
- Le dossier est envoyé, voilà une bonne chose de faite.The file has been sent, that’s one good job done.
Similar words
c’est fait
c’est tout
ainsi
donc
Marking elapsed time
preposition
time
neutral
Places an event a stated length of time before now, or says how long a situation has continued up to now.
Examples
- Voilà trois jours qu’il pleut sans arrêt.It has been raining nonstop for three days.
- Je l’ai rencontrée voilà bientôt dix ans.I met her nearly ten years ago.
- Voilà longtemps que nous attendons cette réponse.We have been waiting a long time for this answer.
- Il est parti voilà deux semaines.He left two weeks ago.
- Voilà un mois que le magasin est fermé.The shop has been closed for a month.
Similar words
il y a
depuis