In a previous lesson, we discussed the words finalement and enfin, which both mean "finally" but have different connotations. Now we'll look at the related phrase à la fin, which can also mean "finally," but is more aptly translated as "in the end":
Comme une larme à la fin de l'histoire
Like a tear at the end of the story
Caption 29, 1789: Les Amants de la Bastille - Tomber dans ses yeux
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However, like enfin, which is often used as a filler word equivalent to "well," "I mean," "in any case," or "come on," à la fin also has a more colloquial meaning. It's used to express frustration, when you've had enough of something and want it to be done with, or when you're fed up with someone's behavior:
Tu deviens ridicule à la fin avec cette histoire.
You're becoming ridiculous with this story at this point.
Caption 11, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Mon histoire d'amour est impossible - Part 5
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Mais qu'est-ce que t'as à la fin avec ce garçon?
But what is it with you and this boy, ultimately?
Caption 16, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Mon histoire d'amour est impossible - Part 5
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Mais arrête à la fin!
But stop it already!
Caption 58, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Notre appartement est hanté - Part 6
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In this sense, à la fin overlaps with enfin, which can also be used to express frustration:
Mais enfin, relève-toi!
Come on, stand up!
Caption 2, Il était une fois - les Explorateurs - 15. Bruce et les sources du Nil
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You can even use the two in the same sentence, when you're really frustrated:
Enfin de quoi vous parlez à la fin?
Well, what are you talking about now?
Caption 65, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Notre appartement est hanté - Part 5
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Mais enfin, elle est dingue, cette histoire à la fin!
But come on, this story is crazy now!
Caption 43, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Notre appartement est hanté - Part 7
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But that's not all! There's yet another word that's used informally for this purpose: encore (still, again). Patricia gives a succinct explanation of this in her video on encore and toujours:
Enfin le mot "encore" peut désigner l'impatience
Finally, the word "encore" can indicate impatience
ou le mécontentement par rapport à un événement
or dissatisfaction with regard to an event
qui se répète ou continue.
that repeats or continues.
Par exemple, la phrase: Quoi encore?
For example, the sentence: What now? [What is it now?]
Captions 17-21, Le saviez-vous? - Utilisation de "encore" et "toujours"
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Patricia also uses two phrases meaning "to be fed up with" or "to be sick/tired of" in this video—en avoir assez de and en avoir marre de:
Ah! Encore lui!
Ah! Him again!
C'est clair, ça veut dire que on en a assez de le voir.
It's clear, it means that we're tired of seeing him.
On en a marre de lui.
We're sick of him.
Captions 25-28, Le saviez-vous? - Utilisation de "encore" et "toujours"
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You now have all you need to vent your frustrations in French!
There are two ways of saying "finally" in French: finalement and enfin. Though they have the same translation and are often used interchangeably in casual speech, these two words aren't exactly synonymous. There's a subtle difference between them that's illustrated in these two examples:
Le grand jour est enfin arrivé.
The big day finally arrived.
Caption 28, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Nos bébés ont été échangés... - Part 7
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Au début... j'étais braquée. J'avais pas envie.
In the beginning... I was dead against it. I didn't want to.
Puis finalement j'ai compris que c'était pour mon bien.
Then finally I understood that it was for my own good.
Captions 6-7, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Nos bébés ont été échangés... - Part 8
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When you say that something has finally arrived, you're implying that you've been expecting it to arrive for a while. But if you finally understand that something is for your own good after being dead against it, you're implying that you didn't expect to have this reversal of opinion. This is the fundamental difference between enfin and finalement: while enfin describes a foreseeable outcome, finalement describes an unforeseeable one.
Let's look at another example. If you say to someone, je suis enchanté(e) de vous rencontrer enfin (I'm glad to finally meet you), you're saying that you've been wanting to meet them for a long time. But if you say, je suis enchanté(e) de vous rencontrer finalement, you're giving the impression that you didn't really want to meet the person at first, but now you're happy that you did. Which is to say that you shouldn't use finalement in this case, unless you want to hurt their feelings!
Finalement can also mean "in the end," which also has the sense of something not turning out as expected:
Alors demain, finalement, on ira pas au château.
So tomorrow, in the end, we won't go to the castle.
Caption 55, Le Mans TV - Mon Village - Malicorne
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Another way of translating that caption would be, "So tomorrow we won't go to the castle after all."
Enfin is used very often in informal speech as a sort of filler word that can mean anything from "well" to "I mean" to "in any case":
Il y en a eu tant que ça?
Have there been that many?
Oui, enfin, non, euh... quelques-uns, quoi.
Yes, well [or "I mean"], no, uh... a few, you know.
Captions 37-38, Le Jour où tout a basculé - Notre appartement est hanté - Part 2
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...où nous sommes au métro Jaurès,
...where we are at the Jaurès subway stop,
enfin, où Paris-Plage
in any case, where "Paris-Plage" [Paris Beach]
a accès à l'eau.
has access to the water.
Captions 2-3, Lionel L - Paris-Plage
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Enfin can also come in handy when expressing impatience or frustration:
Mais enfin, relève-toi!
Come on, stand up!
Caption 2, Il était une fois - les Explorateurs - 15. Bruce et les sources du Nil
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Cette leçon est enfin terminée! (This lesson is finally over!) Tweet us @yabla or send your topic suggestions to newsletter@yabla.com.
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