jamais

/ʒa.mɛ/

never

Je ne l'ai jamais vu.

I have never seen him.

general

At no time; not at any time; not ever.

Il ne viendra jamais.

He will never come.

Je ne l'ai jamais rencontré.

I have never met him.

Used to emphasize the absence of an action or event at any time.

Collocations

ne...jamaisneverjamais de la vienever in my life

Synonyms

nulle part jamais de la vie

Antonyms

toujours souvent

Related Phrases

jamais de la viephrase

never in my life

Pro Tip

Negation

'Jamais' is often used with 'ne' to form the negative 'ne...jamais'.

Gold Rule

Usage with 'ne'

'Jamais' is typically used with 'ne' in negative sentences.

Word Origin

From Old French 'jamès', from Latin 'jam' (already) and 'mēns' (mind), originally meaning 'at no time in one's mind'.

Usage Notes

Often used with 'ne' to form the negative 'ne...jamais' meaning 'never'.

Dictionnaire Français-Anglais