AtelierLe journal · French, understood
English

Language

The course

Updated

Quiz

Au demeurant: meaning and placement in French prose

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Read au demeurant in French prose as an incidental qualification. Practise its placement and distinguish it from il n’en demeure pas moins que.

In short

Au demeurant adds a side judgement or qualification, often “incidentally”, “in any case” or “otherwise” according to context. Un rapport, au demeurant solide calls the report sound while discussing another issue. Il n’en demeure pas moins que instead introduces a point that still holds despite a concession.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

Blank cream and coloured sheets held together by a metal clip.
Practise the two expressions in complete sentences and preserve each judgement. Illustration: Atelier

The two expressions share demeurer, but they do different argumentative work. One can sit inside a noun phrase as an incidental comment. The other introduces a full clause and maintains a counterpoint. Read the sentence around them rather than translating the shared word literally.

Study the placement
ExpressionPatternExample
au demeurantParenthetical qualificationLe rapport, au demeurant solide, est mal résumé.
il n’en demeure pas moins queFull clause after a concessionLe rapport est solide ; il n’en demeure pas moins que son résumé déforme la conclusion.
  1. Question 1No account needed
    In “le rapport, au demeurant solide, est mal résumé”, what is called solid?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The report. The parenthetical adjective solide qualifies le rapport, while the main clause criticises its summary.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    What criticism remains in “le rapport, au demeurant solide, est mal résumé”?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The report is poorly summarised. The incidental qualification calls the report sound; est mal résumé still criticises its summary.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Which phrase introduces a full counterpoint clause?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Il n’en demeure pas moins que. Il n’en demeure pas moins que is followed by the proposition that still holds despite the concession.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Which replacement is closest in this context: “une méthode, au demeurant claire” ?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    A method that is otherwise clear. Au demeurant adds the side judgement that the method is clear, while another point is being discussed.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    What does au demeurant add in “Ce rapport est bref et, au demeurant, très clair”?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    An additional judgement about clarity. The phrase adds a judgement about clarity; it does not make brevity a cause or withdraw it.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Which sentence preserves a positive side judgement and main criticism?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Le texte, au demeurant clair, oublie une condition.. The sentence calls the text clear while still identifying an omitted condition.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    What remains asserted in “La méthode est longue ; il n’en demeure pas moins qu’elle est utile”?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    It is useful despite taking time. The full-clause expression maintains usefulness despite the concession about length.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Which reading suits “Le projet, au demeurant bien préparé, est coûteux”?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    It is costly and, as a side judgement, well prepared. The phrase adds the positive qualification bien préparé without cancelling the statement about cost.

La proposition, au demeurant raisonnable, demande un calendrier plus précis.

The proposal, otherwise reasonable, needs a more precise timetable.

The expression belongs comfortably to written, relatively formal prose. For a plain conversation, qui est d’ailleurs raisonnable or an explicit second clause may be easier. Choose the register that serves the reader, and keep the adjective’s noun clear.

Keep going