toutefois (or is it toute fois ) what does it mean?

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Permalink Reply by Erwan on June 29, 2011 at 4:04pm

It's one word and means "however", "nethertheless".

Here are some synonyms : cependant, néanmoins, pourtant.

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Permalink Reply by yong leong on June 29, 2011 at 5:08pm

Hello Erwan, I am surprised it means , cependant, néanmoins, pourtant:  I thought it meant ' all the time'

thanks Erwan.

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Permalink Reply by Neil Coffey on June 29, 2011 at 5:20pm

No, "all the time" would be "tout le temps".

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Permalink Reply by yong leong on June 29, 2011 at 5:33pm

 Neil, this word is not often use is it?  I seldom heard it used. How often does it appear in conversation? Rarely, sometimes?

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Permalink Reply by Erwan on June 29, 2011 at 5:54pm

It's used quite often.

e.g. : Elle agit ainsi tout le temps. She acted like that all the time.

Elle dit ça tout le temps. She says that all the time.

On l'emploie tout le temps. We use it all the time.

 

I think we hear it more than we read it, but it's perhaps just a feeling.

 

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Permalink Reply by Neil Coffey on June 29, 2011 at 7:48pm

In everyday conversation, probably "quand même" is the most common way of saying the equivalent of "toutefois" etc. But in more formal writing it is used. It's also often the favourite choice in contracts (whereas in other types of writing, the synonyms that Erwan mentioned are probably more or less equally common).

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Permalink Reply by Erwan on June 29, 2011 at 11:51pm

I've just noticed when I read the Neil's reply that I have not understand your question...oups (in everyday French, j'étais à côté de la plaque). Fortunately Neil gave you an answer.

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Permalink Reply by yong leong on June 30, 2011 at 8:05pm

' j'étais à côte de la plaque' means I have not understood your question?  I thought it means ' I was beside the plague' or something like that?

    Really, I am not sure what 'toutefois' means now,  I was asking one question apparently this is not an easy question to answer; now I got more questions.

       So 'toutefois' can mean something like 'quand même and quand même can means ' although or 'though''  just hope I got it right for once, LOL

       Never mind Neil, there are times some words became clear after they have been cooked in the brain for a while, now it is simmering in my brain under very low temperature, when is it ready for use?  Oh, I don't know, then suddenly I understood its meaning  when I am not trying:  it's a case of 'sitting down quietly doing nothing I achieve everything.

     

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Permalink Reply by Erwan on June 30, 2011 at 9:28pm

J'étais à côté de la plaque means I missed the point.

Here are some examples (from wikipedia)with toutefois

- Tous les hommes recherchent les richesses, et toutefois on voit peu d’hommes riches qui soient heureux  : All  people seek wealth but yet we see few rich men who are happy

-Toutefois on peut objecter que… : However we can object that...

 

Good luck with your cooking  ;)

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Permalink Reply by Neil Coffey on June 30, 2011 at 9:55pm

The meaning is really very similar to "however", "nontheless" in English: it introduces a contrast, or emphasises a fact/condition that maybe wasn't expected.

 

Or another way to see it, it means something like "the thing I've just said doesn't change the fact that...".

 

See Erwan's answer for some examples.

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Permalink Reply by yong leong on July 1, 2011 at 5:55am

Ok  Neil, I got it, I just checked the dictionary. I will keep it simple , in other words just remember one example, the common one that is and leave it at that. well, in future I will come across this word again and see what happen.

   Very much obliged everyone for helping me out, Erwan and others thanks.

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