French Conversation · Level 31
89 words
French word
autrement
Pronunciation
IPA/otʁəmɑ̃/
Meaning
- adverbotherwise
Example
Fais tes devoirs, autrement tu ne sortiras pas.
Do your homework, otherwise you won't be going out.
More examples
Il faut parfois penser autrement pour trouver une solution.
Sometimes it is necessary to think differently to find a solution.
Core concept
A fork between doing something differently and facing the negative outcome attached to doing nothing differently.
Common phrases
penser autrement
think in a different way
agir autrement
act in a different way
Similar words
sinon: Indicates a different result if a condition is not met.
différemment: Indicates that something is done in a different way.
Definition in French
Signifie principalement «d'une manière différente», mais employé familièrement pour exprimer une conséquence négative équivalente à «sinon».
Word origin
Autrement combines the French adjective autre with the suffix -ment and continues an Old French formation based on Latin alter.
Usage tips
- The phrase autrement que means "differently from" or "otherwise than", while autrement alone can introduce a consequence after a command or condition.