Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| récemment | /ʁe.sa.mɑ̃/ |
| dernièrement | /dɛʁ.njɛʁ.mɑ̃/ |
| ces derniers temps |
récemment is a common, general way to say recently in French. You can also use other phrases depending on the nuance you want to convey: depuis peu translates to recently or not long ago, and y'a pas longtemps is a colloquial way to say not long ago or recently. If you want to say 'for a little while', you can use the informal phrase depuis un petit moment.
What does it mean word for word?
The adverb récemment is derived from the adjective récent (recent) plus the suffix -ment, which is the French equivalent of the English '-ly'.
Which one should you use?
While récemment and dernièrement are often interchangeable, dernièrement is more frequently used to mean 'lately' when referring to a recurring state or a trend in the recent period.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using récemment to describe a completed action in the past, it is typically used with the passé composé tense.
How do you pronounce it?
The word récemment has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ʁe.sa.mɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- The word temps used in ces derniers temps has a double meaning in French, referring to both 'time' and 'weather'.
- The word temps in the phrase ces derniers temps shares the same Latin root as 'tempo' in music, both originating from 'tempus'.
- The phrase depuis peu is a useful alternative that literally translates to 'since little', meaning 'for a short time' or 'recently'.
Examples in context
- Je l'ai vu récemment.I saw him recently.This sentence shows how to use récemment to describe seeing someone.Tatoeba #822251 by sacredceltic, translation #243883 by CK
- Il est récemment décédé.He died recently.This sentence demonstrates using récemment with a past event.Tatoeba #4694601 by sacredceltic, translation #993268 by CK
- As-tu vu Tom récemment ?Have you seen Tom recently?This sentence is useful for asking a question about someone's recent activities using récemment.Tatoeba #5344156 by Aiji, translation #2993140 by CK
- J'ai récemment visité ParisI recently visited Paris
- Je suis allé au cinéma dernièrementI went to the movies recently
- On est allés à la plage y'a pas longtempsWe went to the beach recently
- J'ai lu beaucoup de livres ces derniers temps.I have read a lot of books recently/lately.
- 184 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are catching up at a cafe.
- ChloéTu as voyagé récemment ?Have you traveled recently?
- LucasOui, je suis allé en Italie.Yes, I went to Italy.
- ChloéC'est génial, Lucas !That's great, Lucas!
- LucasC'était un voyage magnifique.It was a magnificent trip.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “recently” translations and entries récemment, dernièrement, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dernièrement, récemment, temps, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
