What does the French expression en effet mean? Click the link above to learn all about it, and then come back here to share your thoughts.
More: French expressions | Common French phrases
More: French expressions | Common French phrases
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I wasn’t aware of the difference between “en effect” and “en fait” until now. Such distinctions help make the difference between merely talking a language and really speaking it.
Mille mercis. Your web site is a treasure!
Wow…this is an eye opener
Après quelques corrections si vous voulez bien ?
Bonjour Laura. Il me semble que l’expression « en fait », « in fact » is not absolutely a contradiction. It’s grammatically (excuse me to speak of grammar,but we are in two langages) an observation, as « en effet », »An effect being a result. But it’s true that the usage has reserved « en fait » (in fact) to exprim an objection ,perhaps because strongest than « en effet » which don’t concern a discussion, but it’s only the usage. And « en effet » may exprim both an observation and, sometimes an agreement after a disagree.
For example: « I didn’t believed you, and after to have verified, I have to confirm you had reason, and the things are, « en effet » ou « en fait »,« in fact » as you was saying. Certainly; it’s the only exception.
Pardon de m’être risqué, encore cette fois, à vous infliger my bad English.I can’t resist.
Mais, à la réflexion, mon exemple ne contredit pas forcément les vôtres,puisqu’ « en fait »,il s’agit d’une personne qui revient sur son opinion, donc objecte à elle-même.
Merci Laura !
Here’s my personal history with en effet.
When I was first learning to speak French, 11 years ago (in Paris), I looked for the equivalent of actually, because I tend to say actually a lot in English. I thought I’d found my answer with en effet.
So for months I went around saying en effet all the time, until finally a friend — a American married to a Frenchman — took me aside and said, “You know, Laura, ‘en effet’ means ‘indeed’. You’re saying ‘indeed’ all the time, when it doesn’t make sense!”
Wow, was I embarrassed. I asked my other close friend, a Parisian I’d known for 15 years, why she hadn’t corrected me. She said, “Oh, I thought it was cute — a ‘Laura thing’.” (!)
So, what did I do? I switched to effectivement, which I now overuse, I fear!
(By the way, did you give the pronunciation of “en fait”? The Robert & Collins states that the final “t” is silent, as would be normal, but many French speakers DO pronounce the “t”, at least in Paris.)
Hello,
I am french from Caen (Normandy) and I’ll be pleased to explain you some stuff:
“En effet” means “indeed”. That’s for sure.
We can use “en effet” as “indeed”, to invoke the certitude about something. It can be written either at the beginning, or in the middle, or at the end of the sentence.
Example : “En effet, c’est une belle pièce.”/”C’est, en effet, une belle pièce.”/ C’est une belle pièce, en effet.”
But we can use “En effet” to give strenght to the sentence or to “push the reality” about something to be understood by the listener through the power of suggestion. We could translate the “en effet” as “for sure/for real”.
Example : “C’est, en effet, une belle pièce.” (as in: “It’s, for sure/for real, a beautiful artwork.”)
“En fait” means “In fact” or “as a matter of fact”.
Many dictionaries explain that the final “t” is silent but in reality, we all pronounce it, IF the meaning is “in fact”.
There are two different “En fait” in French.
The first one (final “t” is pronounced) is used to constate a fact, or for instance introducing the truth in the middle of/after many lies.
Example : “J’ai dis que j’avais perdu ta voiture et ton argent. En faiT, je l’avais revendu à quelqu’un”. (as in: “I told you I lost your car and your money. In fact, I sold it to someone.”)
The second one (final “t” is silent) is mostly used in law. It means “event”. Jurists often say “en fait et en droit” which means “in event and in law”.
Example : “Pendant un procès, le juge explique l’affaire en fait et en droit.” (as in: “During the trial, the judge explains the case in event and in law.”)
The second one is not an adverb, it’s a nominal group. But sometimes it’s used at the beginning of a sentence and if the person doesn’t pronounce it right (pronounces the “t” by mistake), a foreigner may not understand the sentence, thinking that a comma is to be placed (but it’s not) after “en fait” as in “En fait, et en droit,…..” .
Enjoy!
Laura,
Je suis dans l’est de la France, et je prononce aussi le t dans l’expression ‘en fait’.
Par contre je ne le prononce pas quand je dis ‘un fait’.
Du coup, j’ai voulu en savoir plus et je viens de tomber sur cet article (voir tout en bas de la page “Prononc. et Orth.”
http://atilf.atilf.fr/dendien/scripts/fastshowart.exe?32}FAIT%2C+subst.+masc.}23146}23147}23147}0}5
Merci pour l’explication. En fait and en effet sound about the same to me when spoken by native francophones. I will try to listen with more care for this.
I can understand why you might not hear the difference at the beginning of these expressions, but the ending should make it clear: the t is pronounced in en fait (a(n) feht) but silent in en effet (a nay feh).
In the examples you use amener in the sense of ‘to take’, yet your grammar lessons teach that amener is ‘to bring’ while emmener is ‘to take’. Can you explain this, please.
Please read “Important note” in my lesson: http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa071500.htm