Expression: Tout à coup
Pronunciation: [too ta koo]
Meaning: all of a sudden
Literal translation: all at (a) blow
Register: normal
Notes:Tout à coup is a very common French expression which indicates that something happened abruptly and unexpectedly.
Examples
Sans dire un mot, elle a tout à coup pris son sac et est partie.
Without a word, she suddenly picked up her bag and left.
Tout à coup, j'ai perdu l'appétit.
All of a sudden, I lost my appetite.
Tout à coup is often used interchangeably—though technically incorrectly—with the French expressiontout d'un coup.
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