
En fait and au fait are two short French phrases that are extremely common. If you think you haven’t heard them much yet, pay attention next time you hear a French conversation and you will soon realize how often both en fait and au fait are used. Of course, there is a difference in pronunciation that is obvious to native speakers but it may sometimes be a little difficult to tell one from the other, especially if you ear is not yet well trained in the French language. Listen and learn to discriminate between en fait and au fait: En fait Au fait However similar both phrases may sound to you, you can’t use one for the other for they are different in meaning and as a result, are not used in the same context. Use en fait to say actually when it means in fact, as a matter of fact. En fait can be replaced with phrases such as en réalité or à vrai dire : Use au fait to say actually when it means by the way or incidentally. Look at these examples: Now try to use en fait and au fait when you speak French. You’ll see, you’ll quickly get used to both phrases and this way your conversations will sound much more natural. 🙂 There you are! You now know the difference between en fait and au fait in French. Congratulations! 😉
“En fait” or “au fait”?