parmi nous
The French phrase for 'among us' is parmi nous.
This phrase is used to describe being in the company of or part of a specific group of people.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition parmi (among) and the stressed pronoun nous (us).
Which one should you use?
While parmi nous means being part of a group, entre nous is used to mean 'between us' (such as a secret shared between people) or 'among ourselves' (as in 'let's keep this between us').
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the object of the preposition, you replace nous with other stressed pronouns, such as eux (them, masculine) or elles (them, feminine).
Did you know?
- Using je instead of nous was once considered a sign of a peasant background and was a frequent target of mockery by playwrights like Molière.
- The word parmi is a contraction of two words, par (by/through) and mi (middle), meaning 'mid' or 'in the midst of'.
- In certain historical French dialects, speakers used je (I) instead of nous (we) to express a collective 'us' or 'we'.
Examples in context
- Le tueur est parmi nous.The killer is among us.This sentence is useful for identifying that a killer is among the group.Tatoeba #10971290 by lbdx, translation #10643101 by ddnktr
- Il est populaire parmi nous.He is popular among us.This sentence is useful for describing someone's popularity within a group.Tatoeba #465048 by sacredceltic, translation #298194 by Zifre
- Il y a un traître parmi nous.We have a traitor among us.This sentence is useful for stating that a traitor exists within a group.Tatoeba #338147 by shiboy, translation #23357 by CK
- Je suis devenu un vrai fan d'"Among Us". J'y joue tous les jours!I've become a real fan of "Among Us". I play it every day!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are discussing a new student in their class.
- NathanIl y a un nouvel étudiant parmi nous.There is a new student among us.
- LéaEst-ce qu'il est sympa, Nathan ?Is he nice, Nathan?
- NathanOui, il semble très gentil.Yes, he seems very kind.
- LéaC'est une bonne nouvelle pour notre groupe.That is good news for our group.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nous, parmi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
