Translation in French of “eventually”: enfin or éventuellement?

⚠️ A particularly tricky false friend

The word eventually is one of the most common false friends in French. It is often mistakenly translated as “éventuellement”, whereas it actually means “finalement”, “à terme”, or “en fin de compte”.

⏳ In Reality: eventually = finalement

The term eventually expresses an outcome over time, often after a wait, a sequence of events, or resolved uncertainty.
Examples:

• He eventually accepted the offer → Il a finalement accepté l’offre

• The issue was eventually resolved → Le problème a été résolu en fin de compte

• Eventually, the case was dismissed → Finalement, l’affaire a été classée

❌ The False Friend: éventuellement ≠ eventually

In French, éventuellement means “peut-être”, “le cas échéant”, or “si nécessaire” — a notion of uncertainty or possibility. This is translated in English as possibly, if necessary, or where appropriate.

Example:

• Nous pourrons éventuellement annuler la réunion → We may possibly cancel the meeting

👉 Never translate eventually as éventuellement: it completely changes the meaning.

✅ In Summary

📌 TransLex’s Advice

Before translating eventually, ask yourself:

1. Does the action end up happening?

2. Is it about a possibility or a final outcome?

3. Does the text express a resolution or an option?

👉 In 90% of cases, eventually = finalement.
👉 Avoid automatic choices: this false friend can distort a legal, contractual, or procedural conclusion.