One French Word - Episode 14: Déjà
You cross the park to meet your friend, and the blanket, the plates, the bread — everything is already waiting on the grass.
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One French Word - Episode 14: Déjà
Today's word is déjà — the French word for already, as in I've already finished, have you ever been there?, and what was his name again? 1
Say it in two beats: day, then ZHAH. The accent on the e gives you the first beat, the j buzzes like the s in measure, and the stress falls on the second beat. Wiktionary gives the French pronunciation as /de.ʒa/ and lists already and before as the two everyday meanings. 2
Inside a sentence, déjà sits between the helper verb and the main verb: j'ai déjà fini — I've already finished. 1
In a question, the same word does the job English gives to ever. Lawless French explains that when the verb is in the past, déjà can informally stand in for ever: As-tu déjà grimpé dans un arbre ? — Have you ever climbed a tree? 3
Three everyday shapes:
- j'ai déjà fini — I've already finished
- tu es déjà allé à Paris ? — have you ever been to Paris?
- comment il s'appelle, déjà ? — what's his name again? 2
That last one is the everyday echo: déjà at the end of a question means something has slipped your mind and you are asking for it again. Collins gives quel nom, déjà ? the same way. 1
Two things to remember: déjà goes between the helper verb and the main verb, and in a question it means ever.
References
- 1Collins Dictionary - French-English: déjà
collinsdictionary.com
- 2Wiktionary - déjà
en.wiktionary.org
- 3Lawless French - Jamais: Never and Ever
lawlessfrench.com
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