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encore and toujours - plus and d'avantage


Patf
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I think I usually get the first one right:

encore is usually "again".

toujours, always or still ie "she's still working".

Not sure about the next one - I asked in the garden centre, "avez vous de plus de cette plante?" And she replied "il y a beaucoup d'avantage la bas".

Any further advice?

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QUOTE patf

encore is usually "again".

toujours, always or still ie "she's still working".

Not sure about the next one - I asked in the garden centre, "avez vous de plus de cette plante?" And she replied "il y a beaucoup d'avantage la bas".

END QUOTE

Actually, I think in the example you gave, Pat, of "She is still working", you might hear "toujours" OR "encore".

"Elle travaille encore"

"Elle travaille toujours"

I stand to be corrected, but I think either of them can mean both "She is still at work" (i.e. working late), or "She is still working" (i.e. hasn't retired/given up work yet).

Plus is a tricky one, because it can mean "more" and "no more"!

"Avez-vous d'avantage de plantes comme celles-ci?" "Non, il y'en a plus". (Of course, there should be a "ne" between "il" and "y", but in conversation it would often be dropped.

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I learned the difference between de plus and plus de to my cost very early on, I asked for another beer with my meal and the waitress took my glass away [:(]

 

Pas encore can mean (correct me if I am wrong) net yet (started/done) or no more (no more please/I dont want any more)

 

D'avantage I understand the sense in which it is said but am not confident enough to use it except for certain instances where I regularly hear it, some-one ripping the ar5e out of something or someone, tirer d'avantage.

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I had it from a French walking friend recently that toujours, like encore, can mean still as in c'est toujours disponible?

As Chance has said encore as in pas encore means not yet.

To introduce a new slant on this, I think toujours aussi means still as well......sigh....

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Thanks to all - oh dear, I'll never get the hang of this language. So many shades of meaning - (as in ours.)

But just hoping they know what I mean. There must be a limit to the times you can get away with "Desolée - je suis anglaise!" and they reply "Je sais".

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I love mes gaffes, I have said things that are so 'wrong' and have laughed immediately, saying sorry, ofcourse. Easy to tell when it is really 'wrong' the startled look on someone's face, or on the phone, their tone of voice.

Never stopped me though, it should never stop any of us from talking, and french is VERY complicated.[:D]

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