Usage Note
Ensuite signals the next step in a sequence and is one of the most common connectors in spoken French narrative. It differs from puis (which is slightly more formal or literary) and alors (which can also mean 'so' or 'well'). In recipes and instructions, ensuite marks each subsequent step.
Examples
"Mange, et ensuite tu peux sortir."
Natural Translation
Eat, and then you can go out.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
5 min read