toujours vs encore for “still”
The French words toujours and encore can both be translated as still in English, but they are used differently. Each also has other common meanings depending on context.
1) toujours meaning “still” in a continuous sense
toujours refers to an action, state, or situation that continues over time. It is often used in a neutral or factual sense.
- Il est toujours là. “He is still here.”
- Il travaille toujours à la même entreprise. “He still works at the same company.”
- Le magasin est toujours ouvert. “The store is still open.”
- Je t’aime toujours. “I still love you.”
Synonyms:
- encore can sometimes replace toujours in spoken French when referring to continuation, but the tone may differ.
- reste in some formal contexts: Elle reste fidèle. “She remains loyal.”
2) encore meaning “still” or “again”
encore can express continuation, similar to toujours, but it often carries a sense of surprise, concern, or emphasis. It can also indicate repetition, meaning “again.”
Continuing state (still):
- Il est encore malade. “He is still sick.”
- Le magasin est encore ouvert à cette heure-ci. “The store is still open at this hour.”
Repeated action (again):
- Tu es encore tombé. “You fell again.”
- Tu es encore en retard. “You are late again.”
- Il a encore oublié ses clés. “He forgot his keys again.”
Synonyms:
- toujours for neutral continuation
- de nouveau for “again” in repeated actions
3) differences between toujours and encore for “still”
- toujours is factual and neutral. It simply states that something continues.
- encore can mean still, but it also often adds a sense of surprise, expectation, or repetition.
Compare:
- Il est toujours là. “He is still here.” (neutral)
- Il est encore là. “He is still here.” (slightly surprised or emphasized)
- Tu es toujours en retard. “You are still late.” (continuous situation)
- Tu es encore en retard. “You are late again.” (repeated situation)
4) toujours meaning “always”
toujours can also mean always in French.
- Elle est toujours gentille. “She is always kind.”
- Je l’admire toujours. “I always admire her.”
- Il est toujours prêt à aider. “He is always ready to help.”
Synonyms:
- constamment (constantly)
- à tout moment (at all times)
5) encore meaning “again” or “more”
encore has additional meanings besides still.
- Encore une fois. “Once again.”
- Je veux encore du café. “I want more coffee.”
- Encore plus de travail. “Even more work.”
- Il est encore tombé. “He fell again.”
Synonyms:
- de nouveau for “again”: Il est tombé de nouveau. “He fell again.”
- davantage for “more”: Je veux davantage de pain. “I want more bread.”
6) position in the sentence
Both toujours and encore are adverbs of time, and their placement is flexible but usually close to the verb.
- With simple verbs (no auxiliary): usually after the verb
- Elle travaille toujours. “She still works.”
- Il mange encore. “He is still eating.” or “He is eating again.”
- With compound verbs (with auxiliary): usually between auxiliary and main verb
- Elle a toujours aimé ce livre. “She has always loved this book.”
- Il a encore oublié ses clés. “He forgot his keys again.”
- At the start or end of a sentence for emphasis:
- Toujours fatigué, il ne veut pas sortir. “Still tired, he does not want to go out.”
- Encore une fois, je te le dis. “Once again, I tell you.”
- With negation: placed after the negated verb
- Je n’ai toujours pas fini. “I still have not finished.”
- Il n’a encore rien dit. “He has not said anything yet.”
7) summary
- toujours: still (neutral, continuous), always
- encore: still (emphasized, notable), again, more
- toujours is factual; encore often adds surprise, emphasis, or expresses repetition
- placement is flexible: usually near the verb, between auxiliary and main verb in compound tenses, and after negation
