French word of the day: Tac
It’s got nothing to do with Tic-Tacs but will bring about a feeling of completeness.
Why do I need to know tac?
You don’t, but it makes you sound very French and it’s a pretty satisfying sound to make. Just try.
What does it mean?
Like pfff, bah, oh là là, hopla and miam, tac is not itself a word.
It is another example of a très français sound that is incorporated in the French language to such a degree that people will say it on autopilot - sometimes even without noticing it.
Imagine that you’re entering a nightclub, and the bouncer gives your hand a stamp before you walk in the door.
Et tac! he might say as the stamp hits your hand. Literally translated to ‘and tac’, it is like saying ‘there you go’.
How do I use it?
A Metro employee could say tac - tac - tac - tac while flipping through your tickets. In this example, tac is used to verify that all the tickets are there.
You may also use it to conclude an action, the same way as voilà.
For example, a waiter who is getting an extra chair for a table at a restaurant might, as he puts the chair down, say tac!, just as well as he could say voilà!.
Forgot to put the peanut butter out for breakfast? No worries, I'll get it. Eeeet tac (peanut butter hits the table).
Tac is like saying 'check' in English. You use it to say that an action is completed.
Planning on reading The Local's French word of the day?
Tac. - Done.
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Why do I need to know tac?
You don’t, but it makes you sound very French and it’s a pretty satisfying sound to make. Just try.
What does it mean?
Like pfff, bah, oh là là, hopla and miam, tac is not itself a word.
It is another example of a très français sound that is incorporated in the French language to such a degree that people will say it on autopilot - sometimes even without noticing it.
Imagine that you’re entering a nightclub, and the bouncer gives your hand a stamp before you walk in the door.
Et tac! he might say as the stamp hits your hand. Literally translated to ‘and tac’, it is like saying ‘there you go’.
How do I use it?
A Metro employee could say tac - tac - tac - tac while flipping through your tickets. In this example, tac is used to verify that all the tickets are there.
You may also use it to conclude an action, the same way as voilà.
For example, a waiter who is getting an extra chair for a table at a restaurant might, as he puts the chair down, say tac!, just as well as he could say voilà!.
Forgot to put the peanut butter out for breakfast? No worries, I'll get it. Eeeet tac (peanut butter hits the table).
Tac is like saying 'check' in English. You use it to say that an action is completed.
Planning on reading The Local's French word of the day?
Tac. - Done.
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