Bedeutung
Used to indicate the present moment.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The French 'maintenant' can be part of a 'polite delay.' If someone says they are coming 'maintenant,' they might still be finishing a task. In informal Quebecois, you will often hear 'astheure' instead of 'maintenant.' It's a contraction of 'à cette heure.' In some African French varieties, 'maintenant' is used very frequently as a filler word to emphasize the current state of affairs, often at the end of sentences. Swiss French speakers use 'maintenant' similarly to France, but they are often noted for being more punctual, so 'maintenant' usually means exactly now.
The 'E' Drop
Native speakers almost always drop the middle 'e'. Practice saying 'maint'nant' to sound more natural.
False Friend Alert
Never use 'actuellement' to mean 'actually'. Use 'en fait' instead.
Bedeutung
Used to indicate the present moment.
The 'E' Drop
Native speakers almost always drop the middle 'e'. Practice saying 'maint'nant' to sound more natural.
False Friend Alert
Never use 'actuellement' to mean 'actually'. Use 'en fait' instead.
Sentence Starter
Use 'Maintenant...' at the start of a sentence to give yourself a second to think about the rest of your French sentence.
Urgency
If you really want someone to do something immediately, repeat it: 'Maintenant, maintenant !'
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the blank with the correct word for 'now'.
Je ne peux pas parler, je mange ________.
The sentence says 'I cannot talk,' which implies the action is happening 'now' (maintenant).
Which sentence correctly contrasts the past and the present?
Choose the correct option:
'Avant' (before) is used for the past, and 'maintenant' (now) for the present.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Tu viens au cinéma ? B: Pas ________, j'ai trop de travail.
The speaker is declining the invitation for the current moment due to work.
Match the phrase to the situation.
When would you say 'Maintenant, passons au dessert'?
This is a transition use of 'maintenant' to move to the next stage of the meal.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Now vs. Currently
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenJe ne peux pas parler, je mange ________.
The sentence says 'I cannot talk,' which implies the action is happening 'now' (maintenant).
Choose the correct option:
'Avant' (before) is used for the past, and 'maintenant' (now) for the present.
A: Tu viens au cinéma ? B: Pas ________, j'ai trop de travail.
The speaker is declining the invitation for the current moment due to work.
When would you say 'Maintenant, passons au dessert'?
This is a transition use of 'maintenant' to move to the next stage of the meal.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt is neutral and can be used in any context, from a job interview to a chat with a friend.
No, it is strictly for the present. For the future, use 'bientôt' (soon) or 'plus tard' (later).
Usually after the verb or at the very beginning of the sentence.
'À présent' is just a more formal version of 'maintenant'. They mean the same thing.
Yes, it can refer to the current era, e.g., 'Maintenant, les gens voyagent beaucoup.'
You can say 'là maintenant' or 'tout de suite' for extra emphasis.
No, it is an adverb, so it is invariable and never changes its spelling.
No, the 't' is silent. The word ends on the nasal 'an' sound.
Yes, this means 'until now' or 'so far.'
It means 'now that' and is used to introduce a reason or a new situation.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Tout de suite
similarImmediately
À présent
synonymAt present
Actuellement
similarCurrently
Dès maintenant
builds onStarting now
Maintenant que
specialized formNow that
