afin que
/a.fɛ̃ kə/
In French, afin que is the way to say 'so that'.
afin que is a conjunction used to introduce the purpose or the intended result of an action.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
afin que is a formal and literary way to say 'so that'. In more common or less formal situations, you might use pour que. Another formal option is de manière que.
How does it change in a sentence?
The conjunction afin que must always be followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood. Note that if the subject of both parts of the sentence is the same, you should use pour followed by the infinitive instead of using afin que with a conjugated verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.fɛ̃ kə/
Did you know?
- Because of its formal tone, using afin que in a casual setting can make you sound like a character from a 19th-century novel.
- The word afin is a compound of the preposition à and the noun fin, which means 'end' or 'goal'. Literally, saying afin que is like saying 'to the end that'.
- The use of afin que is so tied to formal writing that it is rarely heard in spoken French, except in highly stylized speeches or legal documents.
Examples in context
- Je le dis afin que vous compreniez.I say this so that you understand.This sentence shows how to use afin que to express the purpose of a statement.Tatoeba #3432461 by sacredceltic, translation #1761816 by kerbear407
- Que dois-je faire afin que vous me prêtiez attention ?What have I got to do so that you'll pay attention to me?This sentence uses afin que to ask what is required to achieve a result.Tatoeba #467977 by sacredceltic, translation #464574 by lukaszpp
- Comment l'expliquer afin que tout le monde comprenne ?How do I explain it so that everyone understands it?This sentence demonstrates using afin que to express the desire for everyone to understand.Tatoeba #12658111 by lbdx, translation #3106735 by jenwang26
- Il économise de l'argent afin que ses enfants puissent aller à l'université.He saves money so that his children can go to university.
- Je mange bien pour être en forme.I eat well so that I can stay in shape.
- Je vais étudier un peu, histoire de comprendre le sujet.I will study a bit, just so that I understand the topic.
- Je vais m'entraîner ce soir, juste pour rester en forme.I'm going to work out tonight, just so that I can stay in shape.
- Elle parle doucement pour que je puisse me concentrer.She speaks softly so that I can concentrate.
- Ilyas économise son argent afin qu'il puisse acheter une nouvelle voiture.Ilyas is saving his money so that he can buy a new car.
- Je vais faire du jogging tous les jours, histoire de perdre du poids.I'm going to jog every day, just so that I can lose weight.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are discussing how to organize a surprise party.
- LéaOn doit faire vite afin que la surprise fonctionne.We must hurry so that the surprise works.
- HugoTu as raison, Léa. Je vais appeler les autres.You are right, Léa. I will call the others.
- LéaParle-leur doucement afin qu'ils ne se doutent de rien.Speak to them softly so that they don't suspect anything.
- HugoC'est entendu, je ferai attention.Understood, I will be careful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry afin que, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries afin, afin que, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
