Level: A2 (Upper Beginner)
This French word of the day is: même (A2). This is a highly versatile word as it can be used as both an adjective and an adverb with meanings include ‘same’, ‘self’ and ‘even’. This lesson provides five example sentences showing how to use this word.
même – IPA pronunciation /mɛm/
Demystifying “Même”: Learn Its Many Meanings & Uses
Même word origin
The Modern French même comes from metipsimus in Latin, which is comprised of met– (emphatic prefix) and ipse (himself, itself). Mismo in Spanish has the same origin.
Même example sentences
Ce sont les mêmes lunettes que j’ai achetées l’an dernier !
These are the same glasses that I bought last year!
When placed before a noun, même means ‘same’. It must agree in number and gender with the noun it’s describing.
For example, ‘le même vélo’ (the same bike), ‘la même chose’ (the same thing) and ‘les mêmes chaussures‘ (the same shoes).
He made the cake himself.
For this sentence, même means ‘self’. The grammatical structure is stressed pronoun–même. This includes:
- moi-même myself
- toi-même yourself (singular, informal)
- lui-même himself / elle-même herself / soi-même oneself
- nous-mêmes ourselves
- vous-même(s) yourself (yourselves) – formal, plural
- eux-mêmes / elles-mêmes themselves
Même les gamins ont compris l’histoire !
Even the kids understood the story!
This sentence uses même + noun, meaning ‘even the + noun’. This lesson covers gamin (slang for child) and this lesson covers histoire (history, story).
Même si tu en as marre, tu dois finir le projet !
You have to finish the project even if you’re fed up!
This sentence uses même si, which is used to introduce a hypothetical situation. The expression en avoir marre means ‘to be fed up’ or ‘to be sick of’. Le projet can mean both ‘plan’ and ‘project’ in French.
Il ne sait même pas lacer ses chaussures !
He doesn’t even know how to tie his shoes!
For this sentence, même is an adverb meaning ‘even’. Hence, ‘Il ne sait même pas’ (he doesn’t even know).
Expressions with même
- tout de même (quand même): anyway, still, even so
- en même temps at the same time
- alors même que just as, while, at the very moment that
- au même moment at that very moment
- C’est toujours la même musique ! It’s always the same old thing!
- de même too also, likewise
Continue learning French
Now that you know how to use même, check out this lesson covering the commonly used French expression quand même, meaning ‘still’ and ‘anyway’.
Recent word of the day lessons | À Moi Paris (course review)
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