En fait vs Au fait
Although en fait and au fait look similar, they serve completely different purposes in French. Understanding the distinction will make your speech clearer and more precise.
You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library.
1. En fait – Actually / in fact
Use en fait when you want to clarify, correct, or explain something. It’s often used in conversation to adjust what you’ve just said or to gently correct someone else.
Examples:
- En fait, je ne viens pas ce soir.
- Actually, I’m not coming tonight.
- Il pensait que c’était facile, mais en fait, c’était compliqué.
- He thought it was easy, but in fact, it was complicated.
- En fait, ce restaurant est fermé le lundi.
- In fact, this restaurant is closed on Mondays.
Think of en fait as the French equivalent of “actually” or “in fact.”
2. Au fait – By the way / incidentally
Use au fait to introduce a new topic or change the subject, a lot like “by the way” or “oh, by the way” in English. It’s very common in everyday conversation and sounds friendly and natural.
Examples:
- Au fait, tu as vu mon message?
- By the way, did you see my message?
- Au fait, comment va ta mère?
- By the way, how’s your mom doing?
- Au fait, tu savais que Marie a changé de travail?
- By the way, did you know Marie changed jobs?
Use au fait when something pops into your head that you want to mention while talking about something else.
3. Simple way to remember
- En fait – Clarifies or corrects (actually / in fact)
- Au fait – Adds or introduces a new topic (by the way)
They may sound similar, but their functions are opposite. En fait looks backward to clarify, while au fait moves the conversation forward.
Learn French From A to Z At Your Own Pace!
