Exprès is a common French word that carries two quite different meanings depending on how it is used. It can work as an adverb meaning “on purpose” or “deliberately,” and it can also work as an adjective meaning “express,” as in a fast delivery or a special service. Both uses come from the same Latin root, expressus, meaning “clearly stated” or “pressed out.”

Exprès as an adverb meaning “on purpose”

This is by far the most common use of exprès in everyday French. As an adverb, it never changes form, no matter the gender or number of the subject.

• Il l’a fait exprès. – “He did it on purpose.”
• Elle ne l’a pas fait exprès. – “She did not do it on purpose.”
• Je ne voulais pas te blesser, ce n’était pas exprès. – “I did not want to hurt you, it was not on purpose.”
• Tu l’as cassé exprès ou par accident? – “Did you break it on purpose or by accident?”
• Il est arrivé en retard exprès pour m’énerver. – “He arrived late on purpose to annoy me.”

Notice that exprès sits after the verb it modifies, which is typical for French adverbs of manner.

Faire exprès

The phrase faire exprès (literally “to do on purpose”) is used constantly in spoken French, often to describe annoying or clumsy behaviour, whether real or accidental.

• Excuse-moi, je ne l’ai pas fait exprès. – “Sorry, I did not do it on purpose.”
• Tu fais exprès de m’ignorer? – “Are you deliberately ignoring me?”
• On dirait qu’il fait exprès de tout compliquer. – “It is as if he does everything to make things complicated on purpose.”

Un fait exprès

When fait and exprès combine into a noun phrase, un fait exprès, the meaning shifts to describe a strange coincidence, usually an unlucky one. This use is a little old-fashioned but still appears, often with irony.

• Comme par un fait exprès, il s’est mis à pleuvoir dès qu’on est sortis. – “As if on cue, it started raining the moment we went outside.”
• C’est un fait exprès, tout se passe mal aujourd’hui. – “It is one thing after another, everything is going wrong today.”

Exprès as an adjective meaning “express”

As an adjective, exprès changes form to agree with gender and number: exprès (masculine singular), expresse (feminine singular), exprès (masculine plural), expresses (feminine plural). In this sense it refers to something fast, direct, or clearly specified, and it appears mostly in formal or postal contexts.

• Une lettre exprès – “An express letter”
• Un train exprès – “An express train”
• Une livraison expresse – “An express delivery”
• Il a reçu l’ordre exprès de ne rien signer. – “He received the express order not to sign anything.”
• Ceci est fait à la demande expresse du directeur. – “This is done at the express request of the director.”

In postal French, un exprès used to refer to a piece of mail sent by special, faster delivery. This use has become rare since the rise of digital communication, but par exprès still appears on older forms or in formal writing to mean “by express mail.”

• Le colis a été envoyé par exprès. – “The parcel was sent by express mail.”

It is worth noting that this adjective sense of exprès is related to the English word “express,” both coming from the Latin expressus. The adverbial sense meaning “on purpose” developed separately in French, from the idea of something done in a deliberate, clearly intended way, rather than by chance.

Synonyms and alternative expressions

For exprès meaning “on purpose”:

• Délibérément – “Deliberately”
• Volontairement – “Willingly” or “intentionally”
• Intentionnellement – “Intentionally”
• De propos délibéré – “With deliberate intent” (formal, literary)
• À dessein – “By design” or “on purpose” (formal)

These synonyms tend to sound more formal or written than exprès, which remains the natural, everyday choice in conversation.

For exprès meaning “express” or “special”:

• Rapide – “Fast”
• Spécial – “Special”
• Direct – “Direct”
• Formel – “Formal” or “explicit,” used for orders or requests, as in un ordre formel – “a formal order”

Common mistakes to avoid

Learners sometimes confuse exprès with express, the adjective borrowed more directly from English and used for coffee (un café express) or general speed (une voie express, “an express lane”). While related in origin, express without the final s sound pronounced differently is used for products and services associated with speed, while exprès covers both the “on purpose” meaning and the more formal “express” meaning tied to mail and formal orders.

Another common error is adding an s to exprès in the adverbial use, as if trying to make it agree with a plural subject. As an adverb, exprès never changes:

• Ils l’ont fait exprès. – “They did it on purpose.” (not exprèss or any other altered form)

Summary

• Exprès as an adverb means “on purpose” or “deliberately” and never changes form.
• Faire exprès is a very common phrase meaning “to do something on purpose.”
• Un fait exprès is a noun phrase describing a strange or unlucky coincidence.
• Exprès as an adjective means “express” and agrees in gender and number: exprès, expresse, exprès, expresses.
• Common synonyms for the adverbial sense include délibérément, volontairement, and intentionnellement.
• Do not confuse exprès with express, which is used for coffee and speed-related products or services.