French dictionary
maintenant/mɛ̃t.nɑ̃/
adverb · A2 · Frequency 131
adverb
Meanings
now, currently
Indicates time, referring to the current moment or period.
Examples
Je dois partir maintenant pour ne pas rater le train.
I have to leave now so I do not miss the train.
Maintenant, nous pouvons commencer la réunion.
Now we can start the meeting.
Elle travaille maintenant dans une bibliothèque municipale.
She currently works in a public library.
Collocations
- maintenant mêmeright now
- maintenant quenow that
Common mistakes
maintenant je vais partir
je vais partir maintenant
In French, adverbs usually come after the verb, not at the beginning of the sentence.
Maintenant que tu es là, on peut partir.
Maintenant que tu es là, nous pouvons partir.
In spoken French, 'on' is common, but in formal writing, 'nous' is preferred.
Related words
synonymastheurealternative form of à cette heure (“presently”)