Published February 4, 2024 · Updated May 6, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson • Native Audio by Marie Assel Cambier
The French Word of the Day is afin, meaning “so that” or “in order to.” Learn how to use it in common phrases like afin de and afin que with clear examples.
📘 Afin meaning
Afin is a French conjunction meaning “so that” or “in order to.” It’s most commonly used in the expressions afin de + infinitive (to, in order to) and afin que + subjunctive (so that) to show purpose or intention. For example, “Il étudie afin de réussir.” (He studies in order to succeed), or “Je pars tôt afin que tu puisses te reposer.” (I’m leaving early so that you can rest).
🎧 Afin pronunciation
The pronunciation of afin is /afɛ̃/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “ah-fan” (with a nasal “an” sound).
📝 Afin examples
Afin de + infinitive
Afin de pouvoir me débrouiller en France, j’apprends le français.
I’m learning French in order to be able to get by in France.
Je me suis levé à six heures du matin afin d‘arriver à l’heure.
I got up at 6am in order to arrive on time.
Afin que + subjunctive
Afin que vous puissiez comprendre, je vais écrire les instructions.
I’m going to write down the instructions so that you can understand.
💡 Afin que vs pour que — What’s the difference?
Pour que and afin que both mean “so that” and are followed by the subjunctive when the subject changes. Pour que is more common in everyday French, while afin que is more formal. Use pour / afin de + infinitive when the subject stays the same.
➞ Je parle lentement afin que tu comprennes.
I speak slowly so that you understand.
➞ Je parle lentement pour que tu comprennes.
I speak slowly so that you understand.
➞ Je travaille pour (or afin de) réussir.
I work to succeed.
👉 See also: Pour que meaning and examples »
❓ Need help with your French?
🎯 À Moi Paris — My top recommended course by Camille Chevalier, featuring engaging audio stories (3 speeds) to help you understand real spoken French and improve pronunciation.
👉 Explore À Moi Paris »
👉 Read my review »
If you purchase the courses, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
📜 Word origin
The French word afin is a combination of the preposition à (to, at) and fin (end). Hence, a literal translation of afin is “to the end”. These words in turn come from the Latin ad (to) and finis (end).
🔗 Related words and expressions
- pour que so that
- pour — for / to
- de façon à so as to, in such a way as to
- de manière à in such a way as to
- dans le but de with the goal of, in order to
- en vue de — with a view to / In order to
📚 Related lessons
🚀 Continue learning on FrenchLearner!
👉 French Word of the Day (200+ lessons) »
👉 French verb conjugations »
👉 French vocabulary lists »
