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tantôt

soon, shortly

adverb tahn-TOH Rare
Time Time Expressions

Origin: Latin tam tosto (so soon)

Also means

sometimes (older/regional use)

Usage Note

Tantôt in modern standard French most often means 'shortly' or, referring to the same day, 'a little while ago' or 'later on.' The paired construction tantôt… tantôt… means 'sometimes… sometimes…' (now one thing, now another). Its use to mean 'this afternoon' is common in Belgian and regional French.

Examples

"Je reviendrai tantôt."

Natural Translation

I will come back shortly.

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