Time and actionsFrenchA2

Déjà, encore, and toujours in past reference

Small adverbs often clarify how a completed action relates to the present moment or to expectation.

Examples

FrenchTranslation
J’ai déjà vu ce film.

I have already seen this film.

Nous n’avons pas encore décidé.

We still have not decided.

Elle a toujours aimé cette ville.

She has always liked this city.

Pattern

past form + aspect adverb

How it works

Small adverbs often clarify how a completed action relates to the present moment or to expectation. This pattern typically appears as past form + aspect adverb and becomes easier when you meet it again in short, readable examples.

What to notice

  • These adverbs often sharpen the reading of the whole sentence.
  • They are extremely common in real French conversation and writing.

Why it matters

Talk about what happened and what was going on.

Use in context

These little words are worth learning together with tense because they shape timeline meaning constantly.