au cas où

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o ka.z‿u/ ~ /o kɑ.z‿u/, /o ka u/ ~ /o kɑ u/

Conjunction

au cas où

1. in case (+ conditional or subjunctive)

   Prends un imperméable, au cas où il pleuvrait.

   Take a raincoat in case it rains.

Usage notes

• Traditionally and according to the prescription of the Académie française, the following verb should be in the conditional mood:

  au cas où il pleuvrait ― in case it rains

• However, in modern informal language, the verb is sometimes found in the subjunctive mood, though the conditional remains more common:

  au cas où il pleuve ― in case it rains

Synonyms

• au cas que, en cas que

Adverb

au cas où

1. just in case

   Prends un imperméable, au cas où.

   Take a raincoat, just in case.