ici-bas

here below, in this world

adverb ee-see-BAH Rare

Usage Note

Ici-bas is a literary or religious expression contrasting earthly life with the afterlife. It appears frequently in philosophical and poetic texts, as in les misères d'ici-bas (the miseries of this world). In everyday modern French it sounds archaic and may carry an ironic tone.

Examples

"Peu de choses ici-bas sont éternelles."

Natural Translation

Few things in this world are eternal.

Literal Translation

Few things here below are eternal.

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