À la fin

Essential French Expression

A la fin
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Meaning at / in / to / until the end
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Pronunciation French sound files [ah lah feh(n)]
IPA   [a la fɛ̃]

Usage notes: The French expression à la fin has several similar English equivalents, thanks to the versatile preposition à (at, in, to) at the beginning.

Par exemple…

Je l’ai vu à la fin de novembre.   I saw him at the end of November.
À la fin, j’ai réussi à le terminer.   In the end, I managed to finish it.
Je suis resté jusqu’à la fin.   I stayed to / until the end.

Related expressions

  • jusqu’à la fin des temps / siècles – until the end of time
  • vers la fin de (janvier …) – in late (January …), towards the end of (January …)

French lesson plans À la fin in action

Examples of à la fin in real-life videos from Lawless French Immersion:

Elles seront rendues au Bénin à la fin du mois d’octobre.   They will be returned to Benin at the end of October.
Video: Young Africans challenge French President at Africa-France Summit
     
À la fin, un seul constat :   In the end, one single conclusion:
Video: TV debate kicks off France’s European elections campaign
     
et c’est comme ça qu’à la fin, il me propose d’effectuer un stage à l’Élysée.   and that’s how in the end, he offers me an internship at the Élysée.
Video: An internship with the President
     
et finalement, eh ben à la fin on apprend qu’ils mangent tous ensemble.   and finally, well at the end we learn that they all eat together.
Video: France’s ‘yellow vest’ protesters: who are they?

Synonyms

Le bout refers to "the end," both literally and figuratively:

  • au bout de la rue – at the end of the street
  • au bout du monde – to the ends of the Earth
  • au bout du tunnel – at the end of the tunnel
  • en bout de course – at the end of the day, ultimately
  • être à bout – to be the end of one’s endurance
  • être à bout de ressources / patience – to be at the end of one’s resources / patience
  • jusqu’au bout – to the end
  • voir le bout du tunnel – to see the light at the end of the tunnel

More synonymous expressions

  • à la sortie de l’enfance / du printemps – at the end of childhood / spring
  • à l’issue de – at the end of (= outcome)
  • enfin – in the end, finally
  • en fin de compte – in the end (= outcome)
  • en fin de semaine – towards the end of the week
  • en queue de phrase – at the end of the sentence
  • fin (janvier, février …) – at the end of (January, February …)
  • fin courant – at the end of this month
  • finalement – in the end (= outcome)
  • finir par (décider) – to end up (deciding)

 Related lessons

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À la fin

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