Published May 24, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Justement — Meaning and Pronunciation
Justement is a common French adverb meaning “exactly”, “precisely”, or “as a matter of fact”. French speakers use it to confirm a point, emphasize precision, respond with contradiction, or connect directly to something just mentioned in conversation.
IPA pronunciation of justement is /ʒyst.mɑ̃/ (IPA), which sounds like “zhuyst-mahn”.
Example Sentences
1. Emphasizing a Point
C’est justement ce que je voulais dire.
That’s exactly what I wanted to say.
2. Contradiction / On the Contrary
Tu ne veux pas sortir ? Si, justement !
You don’t want to go out? Actually, I do!
3. Agreement / Confirmation
Il est toujours en retard. — Justement !
He’s always late. Exactly!
4. Precise Timing
Elle est arrivée justement au bon moment.
She arrived at exactly the right moment.
👉 See also: French expressions for agreeing and disagreeing »
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Related Words and Expressions
Here are some other words that are closely related to justement:
- c’est ça — that’s it, exactly
- précisément — precisely
- en fait — actually
- effectivement — indeed
- d’ailleurs — besides / as a matter of fact
- au contraire — on the contrary
- à propos — by the way / speaking of
- exactement — exactly
- à ce propos — speaking of that
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