voila

/vwa.la/voilà

interjection / particle

here is / here are

there it is

here you go

that's it (when handing or pointing something out)

Tenez, voila vos clés.

Here are your keys.

Synonyms:voici, tiens

adverb

for / (indicating a duration) — used with a time expression (voila + duration + que)

ago / it's been ... (since)

Voila deux heures qu'on attend.

We've been waiting for two hours.

Synonyms:ça fait, depuis

discourse marker / interjection

used to sum up, conclude or emphasize a point: 'so', 'that’s that', 'there you have it'

used to introduce a result: 'that’s why'

Il a raté son train, voila pourquoi il est en retard.

He missed his train — that's why he's late.

Synonyms:c'est pour ça, voilà pourquoi

conjunction / narrative marker

introduces an unexpected or subsequent event in narration — 'and then', 'when suddenly'

Il expliquait tout, et voila que le téléphone sonne.

He was explaining everything, and then the phone rang.

Synonyms:et voilà que, puis