 | |
| Share / Tweet / Pin Me! | |
Essential French Expression
| Meaning | indeed, that’s right; because, actually, in fact | |
| Literally | in effect | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  | [a(n) nay feh] |
| IPA | [ɑ̃ ne fɛ] | |
Usage notes: The very common French expression en effet can respond affirmatively to a question, or it can just be a bit of filler, a way of acknowledging and confirming what was just said.
Par exemple…
| – Tu as cueilli ces pommes ? – En effet. | – Did you pick these apples? – That’s right. | |
| – Ça te plaît ? – Ça me plaît beaucoup, en effet. | – Do you like it? – Yes indeed, I like it very much. |
Somewhat synonymous
- c’est ça – that’s it
- c’est exact – that’s right
- c’est juste – that’s correct
- effectivement – indeed
- justement – indeed
- oui – yes (more ways to say “yes” in French)
- tout à fait – absolutely
- voilà – there you go, that’s it
En effet can also introduce some clarification to the current topic.
Par exemple…
| – Tu n’as pas travaillé hier ? – En effet, j’ai dû amener ma fille chez le médecin. | – You didn’t work yesterday? – That’s right, I had to take my daughter to the doctor. | |
| Je vais déménager, en effet, mon appartement n’est pas assez grand. | I’m going to move because my apartment isn’t big enough. |
En effet in action
Examples of en effet in real-life videos from Lawless French Immersion:
| Ça a été quatre ans compliqués, en effet, de présidence et de relations franco-américaines. | It has been four complicated years, in fact, of presidency and of Franco-American relations. | |
| Video: Emmanuel Macron congratulates Joe Biden (00:22) | ||
| … c’est toujours hyper bien d’avoir en effet des groupes régionaux | … indeed, it’s always really good to have local bands | |
| Video: How to organize your own festival? | ||
| En effet parmi tous les petits déjeuners des enfants, un quart environ est composé de céréales du petit déjeuner. | Indeed, of all the children’s breakfasts, about a quarter are made up of breakfast cereals. | |
| Video: What do the French eat for breakfast? | ||
| Paris va en effet autoriser les tests de véhicules autonomes sans conducteur | Paris will indeed authorize driverless, autonomous vehicle testing | |
| Video: France to allow self-driving car tests | ||
| Cate Blanchett a en effet été l’une des premières célébrités à réagir à l’affaire Weinstein. | Cate Blanchett was indeed one of the first celebrities to react to the Weinstein affair. | |
| Video: Cate Blanchett to lead 2018 Cannes Festival jury | ||
| L’avenue tire en effet son nom des Champs-Élysées de la mythologie grecque : une sorte de paradis. | Indeed, the avenue takes its name from the Champs-Élysées in the Greek mythology: a kind of paradise. | |
| Video: Why are the Champs Elysées so famous? | ||
En effet vs En fait
En effet is underused by students, who tend to use en fait instead. While both can be translated by "in fact," there’s a difference: en effet serves to confirm or agree with something that was just said, while en fait marks an opposition or contradiction.
Par exemple…
| – Tu vas à la fête ? – En effet, je pars dans 5 minutes. | – Are you going to the party? – Yes, in fact, I’m leaving in 5 minutes. | |
| vs | vs | |
| – Tu vas à la fête ? – Non, en fait, je dois travailler. | – Are you going to the party? – No, in fact, I have to work. |
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!
This free website is created with love and a great deal of work.
You must log in to post a comment.