Toujours vs encore

Question

I would find it helpful to have a lesson on the use of toujours vs encore. I tend to mix them up in French.

E.g.

Je me souviens toujours de ton sourire

Je me souviens encore de ton sourire

Or:

Je t'aime toujours

Je t'aime encore

The same in the negative:

Je n'ai pas encore travaillé

Je n'ai pas toujours travaillé

I know these have different meanings but I think I'm often mixing them up.

Cécile Janty-Davies · Accepted Answer

Bonjour Johanna,  
I will pass on your comment to the content team but in the meantime -
In the negative -

pas encore = not yet
pas toujours = not always

which are very distinct in meaning.
In your examples of 'love', the difference is very subtle -
Both phrases mean 'I still love you' in English, but they have slightly different nuances:
'Je t'aime toujours' emphasizes continuity and constancy.
It means 'I still love you' in the sense of 'I love you always' or 'I continue to love you as I always have'. It suggests an ongoing, unbroken love that persists through time.
'Je t'aime encore' also means 'I still love you'  but with more emphasis on the persistence despite circumstances. It can imply 'I love you even now' or 'I love you again' - suggesting that something might have threatened or interrupted that love, but it endures nonetheless. It can carry a slightly more defiant or reassuring tone.
In practice:
'Je t'aime toujours' → 'I still love you (as always, continuously)'
'Je t'aime encore' → 'I still love you (even now, despite everything)'
If you're simply expressing ongoing love, 'toujours' is more natural. If you're reassuring someone after a conflict or difficulty, 'encore' might feel more appropriate because it acknowledges that something has happened, but your love remains.