'finalement' instead of 'enfin'

EldraB1Kwiziq community member

'finalement' instead of 'enfin'

Can this also be correct?

nous pouvons finalement ouvrir nos cadeaux !
Asked 3 years ago
MeganB1Kwiziq community member

As far as I know, "finalement" is more like "lastly" in English. So it would mean at the end, or to finish off. I don't think it could be used in this sentence, but someone else may know better.

MaartenC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

You can use either enfin or finalement - Larousse and le Petit Robert, for example, both use the alternative in the other's definition, or list them as synonyms. Enfin is likely used more often - it is what my wife (French) would have used, and what I heard more often in France (but I haven't formally checked usage statistics anywhere). One reason some suggest avoiding the near-English sounding choice when translating is to avoid faux ami. However, if you are certain of the correct meaning, that is not a major issue.

'finalement' instead of 'enfin'

Can this also be correct?

nous pouvons finalement ouvrir nos cadeaux !

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