# encore / toujours



## mejanna

When I first got to France, I found myself saying "Je suis encore ici," or, "T'es encore avec tes amis?" for the English equivalent of "still." but then it occured to me that "encore" meant more like "again," so I tried to start saying "Je suis toujours ici/la," etc., which of course sounds to me like "I am always here." so I'm confused. What are the correct--and argot please--ways of saying "I'm always here," "I'm still here" and "Once again, I'm here"? and are there times when you could use either or only one? merci bien.

*Moderator note:* Multiple threads merged to create this one. See also the thread encore / de nouveau / toujours.
If you are interested in the expression "encore et toujours" please see this thread.


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## elroy

[...]

From what I've gathered, "encore" and "toujours" are pretty much interchangeable when they mean "still," but only "toujours" means "always."  Context will determine whether "je suis toujours ici" means "I am still here" or "I am always here."


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## timpeac

Yes, I agree with Elroy. "Encore" is very common to mean "still" and I think I would say "toujours" is a little bit more formal. I wonder if Mejanna is confusing "encore" which can mean "again" with "encore une fois" which always means "again".

By the way, in either case "ici" sounds strange. I think it would be "je suis toujours/encore là !"


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## mejanna

[...]

Elroy, 

what I wanted, you gave me perfectly. (which was to know that I WAS right! before I became wrong.) is there ever--or always--the play on words: "je suis toujours la--je suis toujours la!" to mean first "still" and then "always"? or some such arrangement?


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## Agnès E.

To come back to your question and reply to it, majanna:

"I'm always here," "I'm still here" and "Once again, I'm here"

=> *I'm always here = je suis toujours là * (quand tu as besoin de moi, quand il ne faut pas, pour vous aider...).

=> *I'm still here = je suis toujours là !* (don't forget me, houhou!) or *je suis encore là !* (je n'ai pas bougé)

=> *once again, I'm here => une fois de plus, je suis là ; je suis encore et toujours là.*


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## JonSenior

Je sais qu'il n'etait pas ma question mais...

Elle etait là il y a une semaine.
Elle n'est pas parti.
Alors, elle est <toujours / encore> là.

Une example seulement mais je trouve ça difficile. Est-ce qu'il y a un sens avec toujours qui est different avec encore? En fait

Elle est toujours là == Elle est encore là. ?

Est-ce que c'est juste une question de preference. (Je trouve la première plus simple de dire!)

Merci en advance,

Jon


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## LV4-26

Mm I'd have to think.
There must be cases when they're totally interchangeable. But I can't find any examples off the top of my head.

However, here's what I can say :
- The most frequent translation for _still_ is _encore_
- You shouldn't use _toujours_ when there's or risk of confusion with t_oujours=always
Il est toujours dans sa voiture (He's still in his car _or_ He's always in his car?)
- Toujours_ maybe used for emphasis when you've already used _encore
Il est encore dans sa voiture
_[Ten minutes later]_ Il est toujours dans sa voiture _(that might connote impatience or surprise)

Or as in a famous French song :
_J'fais des trous, des p'tits trous, *encore* des p'tits trous
Des p'tits trous, des p'tits trous, *toujours* des p'tits trous
(Le Poinçonneur des Lilas - _S. Gainsbourg_)

_To translate _not yet
- Il n'est pas encore arrivé - _that's OK, he's expected later_
- Il n'est toujours pas arrivé  _- stronger : he should be here by now


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## kay_nyc

Salut à tous,

Pourvez vous expliquer la difference entre "toujours" et "encore" pour vouloir dire "still"?

Merci mille fois en avance,

Kay


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## sirius1245720

"Il n'a pas encore fini ses devoirs" (he still has not finished his homework) = neutral
"Il n'a toujours pas fini ses devoirs" = implies criticism, he's slow, should have finished them already.
"Elle n'est toujours pas rentrée" (she's still not back)= may imply worry or else,  she should have been back by now
"elle n'est pas encore rentrée = neutral, merley giving an information


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## viera

Sirius' explanation is exactly right.
I would add that in using "toujours" you express impatience or imply criticism.


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## carolineR

Chance has it all your examples are negative sentences.
Strangely enough, I think what Sirius and Viera noted





viera said:


> in using "toujours" you express impatience or imply criticism


 is not so true in the affirmative :
Elle travaille encore : impatience (she's at it again!) or neutral
Elle travaille toujours : neutral (I've just taken a look in her room, and there she was, still working).


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## Fred_C

Hi
I do not agree with your explanations.
I think that with "toujours", the action has been lasting longer than with "encore", both in negative and affirmative sentences.

Of cours,  in sentences such as "Elle n'est toujours pas rentrée", the implied meaning is impatience, but the raw meaning is :
"She is not home yet, and it has been a long time."


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## martinile

hi
could someone please tell me when to use encore and when to use toujours when i mean still and what the differences are?
thanks 
martinile


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## itka

The difference is difficult to explain. I can just give you examples, maybe somebody else gives you a clear explanation.

J'ai le temps de finir ce travail (I have enough time to finish that work)
J'ai encore le temps de finir ce travail (soon, this time will be over)
J'ai toujours le temps de finir ce travail (this period is larger. There is no problem because of the time)

Je travaille encore (but I intend to stop)
Je travaille toujours (no idea of stopping)

Je t'aime encore (but it could be different : I could have stopped)
Je t'aime toujours ... Actually, I don't feel there is a difference !

Il y a encore du café à la maison (it is not necessary yet to buy coffee)
Il y a toujours du café à la maison (there is always coffee at home)

Sorry, I can't make it better ! Just wait for the others !


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## hml168

So when would you use 'toujours' and when would you use 'encore'?

I noticed people asking: tu es toujours la? being affirmative, but can you say 'tu es encore la? or does that mean something else?

Merci en avance


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## tilt

I agree with carolineR.
In an affirmative sentence _toujours _is neutral, just reporting a fact, whereas _encore _implie the idea that some limit has been overstepped (but not necessarly in a bad way)
And it's the contrary in negative sentence.

Now, the tone of the speaker is important. _Tu es encore là ?_ and _tu es toujours là ?_ can be strictly equivalent is the tone implies one meaning more than another.


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## sawedoffkickass

quelle est la difference entre "encore" et "toujours?" lequel est-ce qu'on utilise pour indiquer un action continué? c'est a dire, pour remplacer le mot "still" en anglais? merci d'avance.


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## VixenFox

Je travaille *toujours *a la banque. = I *still *work at the bank.
J'y travaille *encore *demain. = I'm working there *again *tomorrow.

The confusing thing to me is that *toujours *can also mean *always *. . .


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## tamanoir

Bonjour sawedoffkickass et bienvenu sur le forum

Pour traduire still ils sont interchangeables, toujours étant d'un registre plus relevé (exemple 1)
1 ) Même si je viens de manger un faisan j'ai encore faim = Même si je viens de manger un faisan j'ai toujours faim.
2) As tu trouvé un nom pour ton blog ? Pas encore! = As tu trouvé un nom pour ton blog ? Toujours pas!
Mais attention :
3) Elle veut toujours mettre une culotte pour aller travailler (always)=/= elle veut encore mettre une culotte pour aller travailler (again).


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## star5432

Can someone please explain the difference in usage between *encore* and* toujours*, specifically in the meaning of *still *(=up to and including the present/even now).  I seem to use them interchangeably even though I KNOW this is wrong.

For example:

Il reste _encore_ two arrets.= There are_ still _2 stops left.
Est-ce qu'elle _toujours_ dort?=  Is she _still_ sleeping


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## tilt

star5432 said:


> Il reste _encore_ *deux* arr*ê*ts.= There are_ still _2 stops left.
> Est-ce qu'elle *dort toujours* ?=  Is she _still_ sleeping


They are often interchangeable, indeed.

[...]


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## star5432

Haha, excuse me for using "two" instead of "deux." (What was I thinking??)

But could you please explain why toujours comes after the verb, "dors"?  And if I wanted to use "encore," could I say _Est-ce qu'elle dort encore_(or _est-ce qu'elle encore dort_)?


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## tilt

_Encore _and _toujours, _like most of the adverbs, usually show after their related verb:
_- Elle reste encore deux arrêts
- Il dort toujours.
- Tu es encore là.
- Je parle toujours fort.
- etc.
_


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## star5432

Ok, but how would one differentiate between saying "She is still sleeping." and "She is always sleeping!" ?


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## kme

_always_ will be translated by _toujours_ pretty much every time
_still_ can be translated by both _encore_ et _toujours_


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## Austin Pal

_*"She is still sleeping."* = "Elle dort toujours..." = "Elle dort encore..."_


_*"She is always sleeping!"* = "Elle dort tout le temps..."= "Elle dort toujours..." _


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## nouvellerin

J'ai encore faim = I'm still hungry
J'ai toujours faim = I'm always hungry (?)

Je suis encore en train de lire le roman de Sylvia Plath = I'm still reading Sylvia Plath's novel
Je suis toujours en train de lire le roman de Sylvia Plath = same as above (?)

When do you know the difference between usage of encore/toujours to say "still"?

Thanks


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## cropje_jnr

I judge from the context - in most such sentences _toujours _can mean either 'still' or 'always' just as _encore_ can often mean 'still' or 'again'.


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## Atukase

You don't... It's a question of feeling.

"J'ai toujours faim" could also be "I'm still hungry"


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## swiss miss

Hello,

I'm just wondering what the difference in usage is of _encore_ and _toujours_ to translate to "still" in English.

Example: Is he still there?
              Est-ce qu'il est toujours là?
              Est-ce qu'il est encore là?

I know that encore can also mean "more" as in, I would like some more, but I've heard it used to mean "still".  Any ideas?  Thanks.


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## maurizioromano

Hi, Swiss Miss.
I am not a "native", but I can feel a difference in the two sentences. 
_Est-ce qu'il est toujours là?_ makes me think that the person who asks the question *expects* *"him" to be still there *and that "there" is the place he should be.
_Est-ce qu'il est encore là?_ makes me think that the person who asks the question *thinks  (or fears) that "he" might have moved;*


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## Laura24

I never know when I should use encore or toujours when I wish to say the english word 'still'. I understand the use of encore as 'again' and toujours as 'always' but become confused when I want to say eg. 'I am _still_ doing something...I _still _go there...' etc.


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## Fred_C

Hi, 
It is easy. You can say either.
For example : "She is still sick" : "Elle est encore malade" or "Elle est toujours malade".

But people will prefer to say "encore", because "toujours" also means "always", and "elle est toujours malade" could be confusing, because it can be understood as "she is always sick".


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## tilt

I'd say this is not that easy!
Like always, it all depends on the context.

There's generally a slight difference of meaning between _encore _and _toujours_, which would make a native speaker preferring one or the other, in a way which is not that obvious for a non native speaker.

[...]


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## genevois

Hi,  I want to say "I'm still in Switzerland". I wonder if the two translations below are both correct. Merci d'avance.

Je suis encore en Suisse.
Je suis toujours en Suisse.


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## ageur

Les deux sont correctes.


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## frenchlady

Je dirais : je suis _toujours_ en Suisse

la nuance est légère, mais selon moi :

* je suis toujours en Suisse : c'est un fait : je continue d'y être, et j'y suis bien (sens positif)

* je suis _encore_ en Suisse implique que je dois en partir bientôt, peut-être même que je devrais déjà être parti. (sens plus négatif)

A confirmer par d'autres natifs


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## adele22

Est-ce qu'il y a une difference entre "encore" et "toujours" quand on veut dire "still" en anglais?!

"J'ai encore faim."
"J'ai toujours faim."

Merci d'avance


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## DeLaMancha

A mon avis, dans les exemples ci-dessus, il n'y a pas de différence :
Bien que j'aie très bien déjeuné, j'ai encore faim.
Bien que j'aie très bien mangé, j'ai toujours faim.
Dans les deux cas, je traduirais par "still".
Si on dit "I'm always hungry" ce serait une habitude non ?


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## Ali Smith

DeLaMancha said:


> A mon avis, dans les exemples ci-dessus, il n'y a pas de différence :
> Bien que j'ai très bien déjeuné, j'ai encore faim.
> Bien que j'aie très bien mangé, j'ai toujours faim.
> Dans les deux cas, je traduirais par "still".
> Si on dit "I'm always hungry" ce serait une habitude non ?


If they mean the same thing, how come you used the indicative ("ai") in the first one and the subjunctive ("aie") in the second?


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## Chimel

The indicative "ai" is a mistake in the first sentence: it should be the subjunctive in both cases.


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## Ali Smith

Thanks!

So, would both

Êtes-vous encore malade ?

and

Êtes-vous toujours malade ?

mean “Are you sick again?”?


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## Maître Capello

Only the former may mean "Are you sick *again*?" although in that case I'd rather say _Êtes-vous *de nouveau* malade ?_

Both of your suggestions may mean "Are you *still* sick?"


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## Ali Smith

Thanks! Could they also mean “Are you always sick?”?


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## Maître Capello

Only the latter with _toujours_ may mean "always".

In a nutshell:
_Êtes-vous *encore* malade ?_ = (1) Are you *still* sick? (2) Are you sick *again*?
_Êtes-vous *toujours* malade ?_ = (1) Are you *still* sick? (2) Are you *always* sick?

+++
See also the following threads:
encore / de nouveau / toujours
à nouveau / de nouveau / encore


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## Ali Smith

Thanks! Is there an _unequivocal _way of saying "Are you still sick?" though?


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## Maître Capello

I can't find one. But to be honest, by default both _encore_ and _toujours_ are understood as "still" in your example. The appropriate meaning is usually clear from context. If we want to say "Are you sick again?", we'd rather use _de nouveau_ (or _à nouveau_). If we want to say "Are you always sick?", we'd rather use _sans cesse, en permanence, perpétuellement_ or _continuellement_ to name a few possibilities.


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