Ever vs Always

[RebeccaTours]

I am currently teaching English to a French friend and he is frequently mixing up the use of 'ever' and 'always' when wanting to translate 'toujours', I am finding it difficult to explain the difference... can anyone help me out?

 

[Shakespeare's brother]

Rebecca, toujours seems to literally translate as 'all days' (i.e. every day)

Dictionary glosses have always as: 'for every time, on every occasion', so the long and short of it is that I think the two are interchangeable. In my opinion there is not even a nuance of difference in meaning.

 

[BobK]

Interchangeable?

Have you ever been to Paris? :tick: Jamais rather than toujours
*Have you always been to Paris? :cross: *

Have you always been in Paris? :tick: Toujours
Have you ever been in Paris? :tick: Jamais [The meanings are distinct]

(The key seems to be jamais, which can translate as both 'ever' and 'never'. You can only use 'ever' in a question when the answer 'never' is possible.)

The other problem with toujours is that it can also mean 'still':

Vous êtes toujours lá? Are you still [t]here?

I think you need to speak to a Frenchman to sort this out - Alain Chomat perhaps.

b

PS There is a poetical/rhetorical usage of "ever" : I am always an optimist = I am ever an optimist; but this rather archaic form is the only case I can think of where the two are interchangeable.

PPS
*There is a rare case where this sort of "always" is possible -
'We always spend our holidays in the Dordogne.'
'Have you always been there?
'No. Until 1995 we used to go to Normandie.'
So there is a case where 'Have you always been to Paris?' is possible; it doesn't mean the same as 'Have you ever been to Paris?' though. It implies the existence of an option such as 'Wasn't there a time when you used to go to Lille instead?'

 

[Shakespeare's brother]

Bob, I bow to your superior knowledge of French...and pity Rebecca's French friend for what will undoubtedly be the briefest of lessons.

 

[CHOMAT]

.

Ever might be translated into déjà = once in one's life time:

Have you ever spoken to him ? Lui as-tu déjà parlé ?

Have you ever been to Tralee? ( very nice place but too many roses in August) Etes-vous déjà allé à TRALI ? = Avez vous eu l'occasion de...?



Ever might be translated into jamais

It's the nicest thing he has ever done : C'est le plus beau cadeau qu'il a jamais fait.

I've hardly ever spoken to her : Je ne lui ai presque jamais parlé.

for ever can be translated into pour toujours ou à à jamais

There may be a confusion between still/ always , since both are translated into toujours.or between before and ever= déjà.

I'd like you to give me some examples of the mistakes your friend is prone to make.