de nos jours
/də no ʒuʁ/
The English phrase 'nowadays' can be translated into French using de nos jours. Wiktionary also lists aujourd'hui.
Meaning: at the present time, in the current era (adv)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| de nos jours | /də no ʒuʁ/ |
| aujourd'hui | /o.ʒuʁ.d‿ɥi/ /o.ʒɔʁ.d‿ɥi/ |
Both de nos jours and aujourd'hui can be used to mean 'nowadays' when referring to the present time or the current era.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase de nos jours literally translates to 'of our days'.
Which one should you use?
While aujourd'hui can mean 'nowadays', it is more commonly used to mean 'today' (the specific current day), whereas de nos jours is used specifically to refer to the current era or modern times.
How does it change in a sentence?
de nos jours is an adverbial phrase and can be placed at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/də no ʒuʁ/
Did you know?
- The word hui inside aujourd'hui is actually a fossil from the Latin word 'hodie'. Although it is no longer used as a standalone word in modern French, it lives on inside this one common term.
- The word aujourd'hui is one of the few common French words that retains an apostrophe as a permanent part of its spelling. This apostrophe marks where a vowel was dropped as the phrase evolved into a single word.
- The phrase de nos jours has a more formal, slightly more literary weight than the simple aujourd'hui. It is often used when making broad sociological observations about modern society.
Examples in context
- Qui écrit des lettres de nos jours ?Who writes letters nowadays?This sentence is useful for practicing the placement of de nos jours at the end of a question.Tatoeba #11724776 by lbdx, translation #1798778 by Amastan
- La viande est très chère de nos jours.Meat is very expensive nowadays.This sentence is useful for practicing the placement of de nos jours at the end of a statement.Tatoeba #6380815 by Aiji, translation #18720 by CK
- De nos jours, Tom ne fait plus qu'étudier.All Tom does nowadays is study.This sentence is useful for practicing the placement of de nos jours at the beginning of a sentence.Tatoeba #3139264 by Aiji, translation #2951489 by CK
- Actuellement, les technologies numériques transforment de nombreux secteurs de l'économie.Nowadays, digital technologies are transforming many sectors of the economy.
- De nos jours, la santé publique est une priorité nationale.Nowadays, public health is a national priority.
- À l'heure actuelle, les enjeux environnementaux sont cruciaux pour l'avenir de notre planète.Nowadays, environmental issues are crucial for the future of our planet.
- Maintenant, on peut facilement commander des repas en ligne.Nowadays, it is easy to order meals online.
- 51 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about modern technology.
- ManonTout le monde a un smartphone de nos jours.Everyone has a smartphone nowadays.
- LucasC'est vrai, c'est devenu indispensable.It's true, it has become indispensable.
- ManonLucas, tu en utilises un tout le temps ?Lucas, do you use one all the time?
- LucasOui, je ne peux plus m'en passer.Yes, I cannot do without it anymore.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nowadays” translations and entries de nos jours, aujourd'hui, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aujourd'hui, de, nos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
