tous

The word "tous" in French translates to "all" or "everyone" in English. It is used to refer to all members of a group or indicate that something involves each and every individual within a specified context.

In terms of grammatical gender and number, "tous" is the masculine plural form of the pronoun "tout," which means "everything" or "all." It is typically used to refer to a group of people (when at least one male is included) or to a mixed-gender group.

When "tous" is used before a plural noun, it takes the form "tous les," meaning "all the," as in "tous les jours" (every day) or "tous les hommes" (all the men).

Synonyms and differences:

1. Toutes: This is the feminine plural form of "tout" and means "all" as well but is used for feminine nouns. For example, "toutes les femmes" means "all the women."

2. Chacun: This term means "each" or "each one" and emphasizes individuality rather than the group as a whole. For example, "Chacun a son rôle" (Everyone has their role).

3. Tous ensemble: This phrase literally means "all together" and emphasizes the idea of unity among all members of a group.

While "tous" encompasses everyone in a masculine or mixed-gender context, "toutes" specifically refers to a group of females. Both forms are inclusive but vary in their application based on the gender of the nouns they modify.