Ainsi, Alors, Donc; Après, Ensuite, Puis - "Then" in French

The English word "then" has two distinct meanings: one related to consequence and the other to time. These two meanings translate differently into French, and the various synonyms further complicate matters:

• Ainsi, alors, and donc are commonly used to explain the consequences or effect of an action
• Après, ensuite, and puis are used to indicate the order of events

This lesson should help you to understand the difference between all of these terms and thus use them correctly.


Après - Ensuite - Puis   |   Ainsi - Alors - Donc


Après

1) (preposition) after

Il a téléphoné après toi
He called after you (did)

Après avoir tout lu… (past infinitive)
After having read everything…

2) (adverb) afterwards, later

Viens me voir après
Come see me afterwards

Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé après ?
What happened later/afterwards?

Après is not interchangeable with ensuite and puis - those adverbs indicate a sequence of events, whereas après simply modifies a verb to say what will/did happen at a later time. There is no sense of progression from one action to the next when using après.

3) après que (conjunction) - after

Après qu'il est mort, j'ai déménagé en Belgique
After he died, I moved to Belgium

Je vais le faire après qu'il arrivera
I'm going to do it after he arrives

Après que is followed by the indicative, not the subjunctive. However, when describing something that has not happened yet, the verb after après que is in the future, rather than in the present the way it is in English.


Ensuite

(adverb) then, next, later

J'ai mangé et ensuite je me suis habillé
I ate and then I got dressed

Je suis allé à la banque et ensuite au musée
I went to the bank and then (to) the museum

Il m'a dit ensuite que…
And then he told me…, He told me later that…

Puis

1) (adverb) then, next

J'ai mangé, puis je me suis habillé
I ate and then I got dressed

Je suis allé à la banque et puis au musée
I went to the bank and then (to) the museum

Puis il m'a dit que…
Then he told me…

This meaning of puis is interchangeable with ensuite, except for the sense of "later" which only ensuite has. They do not indicate a cause/effect relationship; they simply relate a sequence of events.

2) et puis - and besides, moreover

Je n'ai pas envie de sortir, et puis je n'ai pas d'argent
I don't feel like going out, and besides, I don't have any money

Nous devons étudier, et puis toi aussi
We have to study, and so do you

Page 1: Ainsi - Alors - Donc

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