ces jours-ci
/se ʒuʁ.si/
The English phrase "these days" can be translated into French as ces jours-ci or de nos jours.
Meaning: currently (adv)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| ces jours-ci | /se ʒuʁ.si/ |
| de nos jours | /də no ʒuʁ/ |
In French, the choice of phrase depends on whether you are describing a recent habit or a general era. Use ces jours-ci to talk about a temporary state or a recent habit, such as feeling tired. Use de nos jours when making general observations about modern society or technological progress.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase de nos jours literally translates to "of our days", which implies the era in which we currently live.
Which one should you use?
de nos jours refers to the current era or modern age, similar to the English expression "in this day and age".
How do you pronounce it?
/se ʒuʁ.si/
Did you know?
- Using ces jours-ci can sometimes carry a subtle tone of annoyance, as if you are complaining about a recent, irritating streak of events.
- While de nos jours refers to the modern era, French speakers often use the word actuellement for 'currently'. However, actuellement is a false friend and does not mean 'actually' in the sense of 'in fact'.
- The word jours in de nos jours shares the same root as the English word 'journal', which originally referred to a daily record or a day's work.
Examples in context
- Ces jours-ci John boit trop.These days John drinks too much.This sentence uses ces jours-ci to describe a current habit.Tatoeba #337038 by sysko, translation #52623 by CP
- Voyager est aisé, de nos jours.Travelling is easy these days.This sentence uses de nos jours to describe a general state of the world.Tatoeba #1415849 by sacredceltic, translation #18688 by Zifre
- C'est très courant de nos jours.That's pretty common these days.This sentence uses de nos jours to describe a common modern occurrence.Tatoeba #5289319 by Aiji, translation #5132203 by CK
- De nos jours, la technologie joue un rôle prépondérant dans nos vies.These days, technology plays a significant role in our lives.
- Les jeunes d'aujourd'hui sont passionnés par les enjeux environnementaux.The youth these days are passionate about environmental issues.
- Aujourd'hui, tout est connecté grâce à Internet.These days, everything is interconnected thanks to the internet.
- Je ne regarde plus la télévision de nos jours.I don't watch TV these days.
- 59 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are catching up at a café.
- LucasTu as l'air fatiguée, Chloé.You look tired, Chloé.
- ChloéOui, je travaille trop ces jours-ci.Yes, I am working too much these days.
- LucasTu devrais te reposer un peu.You should rest a little.
- ChloéTu as raison, Lucas.You are right, Lucas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “these days” translations and entries ces jours-ci, de nos jours, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, nos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
