Common mistakes
Actuellement or maintenant? Currently, now and actually
Use actuellement for a current situation and maintenant for now. Compare overlapping uses, correct the actually false friend and answer four questions.
- B1
- 1 corrections
- Examples and fixes
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In short
Actuellement means “currently” or “at present”. Maintenant means “now”, including an immediate action or a change from before. For “actually” when correcting someone, use en fait: En fait, la réunion est demain.
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- actuellementactually, when correcting a factcurrently; at present
Je travaille actuellement sur un nouveau projet.I’m currently working on a new project.
For “Actually, I work alone”, say En fait, je travaille seul if you are a man, or seule if you are a woman.
What is the difference between actuellement and maintenant?
| Job | French | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Current situation | Actuellement, je travaille à distance. | At present, I work remotely. |
| Immediate action | Je commence maintenant. | I’m starting now. |
| Correction | En fait, je commence demain. | Actually, I’m starting tomorrow. |
A current project can last several weeks. Actuellement places it in the present period. For a choice between doing something now and later, maintenant is natural: Tu préfères commencer maintenant ou après la pause ?
- Nora
Tu travailles sur quoi actuellement ?
What are you working on at the moment?
- Paul
Sur le programme de la semaine.
On the programme for the week.
- Nora
On le présente maintenant ?
Shall we present it now?
- Paul
En fait, la réunion est demain. On a encore le temps.
Actually, the meeting is tomorrow. We still have time.
When can you use both actuellement and maintenant?
Avant, je travaillais le soir. Maintenant, je travaille le matin.
Before, I worked in the evening. Now I work in the morning.
Actuellement, je travaille le matin.
At present, I work in the morning.
The first version highlights a change: evenings before, mornings now. The second describes the present arrangement. Maintenant can cover a whole phase of life, as well as this exact moment. Think of “nowadays” in Maintenant, je travaille à distance.
- Actuellement, tu as raison : la réunion est demain.En fait, tu as raison : la réunion est demain.
To acknowledge a correction with “actually”, use en fait. Actuellement introduces a time frame.
- Actuellement ou plus tard ?Maintenant ou plus tard ?
This immediate choice is “now or later”. Maintenant is the natural match for plus tard.