toujours/tu.ʒuʁ/
adverb · A1 · Frequency 143
adverb
Meanings
always
Indicates that an action or state occurs at all times.
still
Indicates that an action or state continues after a certain point in time.
Examples
Elle prend toujours le même chemin pour aller au travail.
She always takes the same route to work.
Nous pouvons toujours compter sur lui en cas de problème.
We can always count on him when there is a problem.
Le magasin est toujours ouvert malgré les travaux dans la rue.
The shop is still open despite the roadworks in the street.
Collocations
- toujours fidèlealways faithful
- toujours en activitéstill active
Common mistakes
Il est toujours fatigué depuis hier.
Il est fatigué depuis hier.
'Toujours' cannot co-occur with 'depuis' to express 'has been X since...'; the correct structure is 'être + adjective + depuis', and adding 'toujours' creates semantic conflict ('always tired' ≠ 'has been tired since yesterday').
Je toujours mange des croissants le matin.
Je mange toujours des croissants le matin.
As a frequency adverb, 'toujours' in declarative sentences normally appears after the auxiliary verb (in compound tenses) or before the main verb (in simple tenses); it must not be placed between subject and verb as in this error.