Language/French/Grammar/ensuite-VS-puis
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Rule
"ensuite" and "puis" both mean 'afterwards, then'.
However, "ensuite" is a time adverb which can occur in the middle of a clause (for the position of adverbs), while "puis" is a coordinating conjunction which can occur only at the beginning of a clause.
Therefore "ensuite" and "puis" are not always interchangeable.
In grammatical terms, "ensuite" is an adverb whereas "puis" is a conjunction. As a conjunction, "puis" joins sentences together. That means it cannot simply be added at the end of a sentence, which "ensuite" can.
"puis" is also often used for more logical (i.e. not strictly temporal) sequences.
See the examples below:
Examples
- Il a payé l'addition, et il est ensuite parti
He paid the bill, and afterwards left
- Qu’est-ce qu’il a fait ensuite ? works, NOT Qu’est-ce qu’il a fait
puis ?
What did he do next?
- Il a payé l'addition, puis il est parti
He paid the bill, then he left
- Il y a beaucoup de musées à Paris, puis il y a les parcs
There are a lot of museums in Paris, then there are the parks
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