When a French speaker organizes information in ordered sequence — steps in a recipe, points in an argument, events in a story — they reach for a small set of sequence markers: d'abord, ensuite, puis, enfin. These are the connecteurs séquentiels, the verbal equivalents of bullet points or numbered lists. They are essential at every level: A2 learners use them in their first dictations, B2 students need them for argumentative essays, native speakers use them every day to organize talk.
This page covers the full set, both the casual everyday markers and the more formal alternatives (premièrement, deuxièmement, troisièmement; en premier lieu, en second lieu; avant tout). Each has its own register and typical use; picking the right one signals whether you are giving directions, narrating an event, or constructing a formal argument.
The core trio: d'abord, ensuite, enfin
The three most common sequence markers are d'abord, ensuite, enfin. Together they cover the full arc of an ordered sequence: opening, middle, closing.
| Marker | Position in sequence | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| d'abord | First | first, first of all, to start |
| ensuite | Middle | then, next |
| puis | Middle (variant) | then |
| enfin | Last | finally, lastly |
D'abord — the opener
D'abord (literally from-the-start) marks the first item in a sequence. It is (neutral) in register and works in casual speech, instructions, formal writing, and academic prose alike.
D'abord, je me lève à sept heures.
First, I get up at seven.
Pour faire une omelette, d'abord il faut casser les œufs.
To make an omelette, first you need to crack the eggs.
D'abord, je voudrais te remercier.
First, I'd like to thank you.
D'abord always sits at the start of a clause when used as a sequence marker. It can also mean first and foremost with a stronger emphasis.
Ensuite — the middle marker
Ensuite (literally in-sequence) marks any middle item. It can be used multiple times in a long list — ensuite… ensuite… ensuite… — but native speakers typically alternate it with puis or après to avoid repetition.
D'abord on prend le train, ensuite on prend le bus.
First we take the train, then we take the bus.
Tu mélanges la farine, ensuite tu ajoutes les œufs, ensuite le lait.
You mix the flour, then you add the eggs, then the milk.
Je vais à la boulangerie, ensuite à la poste, ensuite à la banque.
I'm going to the bakery, then to the post office, then to the bank.
Ensuite is (neutral) and works at any register. It is more formal than après and less casual than puis; in writing it is the most idiomatic middle-marker.
Puis — the casual alternative
Puis is a shorter, slightly more casual variant of ensuite. The two are almost interchangeable, but puis feels lighter and more spoken.
D'abord on a mangé, puis on est sortis.
First we ate, then we went out.
Je vais finir mon travail, puis je rentre.
I'll finish my work, then I'll go home.
On a discuté, puis on a décidé.
We talked, then we decided.
Puis is (neutral, slightly informal-leaning). It is more frequent in spoken French than ensuite. In writing both are acceptable, but ensuite feels slightly more polished.
The fixed phrase et puis is even more casual, often used to add an item without strictly sequencing: et puis can mean and also as much as and then.
J'ai un cours à dix heures, et puis un autre à midi.
I have a class at ten, and then another at noon.
Il pleut, et puis il fait froid.
It's raining, and on top of that it's cold.
Enfin — the closer
Enfin marks the last item in a sequence. Unlike English finally, which can mean either last in a list or at long last, French enfin in the sequence-marker function means strictly last in the list. (For at long last / in the end, French uses finalement — see the page on eh bien, en fait.)
D'abord on s'inscrit, ensuite on paie, enfin on reçoit la confirmation.
First you register, then you pay, finally you get the confirmation.
Premièrement le contexte, deuxièmement les arguments, enfin la conclusion.
First the context, second the arguments, finally the conclusion.
Je vais préparer le dîner, mettre la table, et enfin allumer les bougies.
I'm going to make dinner, set the table, and finally light the candles.
Enfin in this function is (neutral) and works at any register.
A complete sequence in everyday speech
Here is the trio in action in a typical recipe-style explanation:
Pour préparer une salade niçoise : d'abord, vous lavez les tomates et les coupez en quartiers. Ensuite, vous faites cuire les œufs durs. Puis vous ajoutez les olives, les anchois, et les haricots verts. Enfin, vous arrosez d'huile d'olive et vous servez.
To make a salade niçoise: first, you wash the tomatoes and cut them into quarters. Then, you hard-boil the eggs. Then you add the olives, anchovies, and green beans. Finally, you drizzle with olive oil and serve.
This is exactly how a French speaker would give cooking instructions — alternating ensuite and puis to avoid repetition, opening with d'abord, closing with enfin.
Premièrement, deuxièmement, troisièmement: the formal ordinals
For formal writing — academic essays, business reports, legal documents, structured arguments — French uses ordinal markers built on the cardinal numbers: premièrement, deuxièmement, troisièmement, quatrièmement…
Premièrement, le projet est en retard. Deuxièmement, le budget est dépassé. Troisièmement, l'équipe est démotivée.
First, the project is behind schedule. Second, the budget is over. Third, the team is demotivated.
L'auteur défend trois thèses : premièrement, la souveraineté populaire ; deuxièmement, la séparation des pouvoirs ; troisièmement, le droit de résistance.
The author defends three theses: first, popular sovereignty; second, separation of powers; third, the right to resist.
Il faut considérer plusieurs facteurs : premièrement, le coût ; deuxièmement, la qualité ; troisièmement, le délai.
Several factors must be considered: first, cost; second, quality; third, delivery time.
These are (formal). They belong to written argumentation, presentations, and structured discourse. In casual speech they sound stilted unless used jokingly. The shorter primo, secundo, tertio exist as Latin variants and are (formal/literary) — used occasionally in academic prose for emphasis but rare in modern writing.
When to choose ordinals over d'abord, ensuite, enfin
Use the ordinals when:
- You are writing a structured argument with clearly numbered points.
- You have more than three or four items and need explicit numbering.
- The register is formal — business, academic, legal.
Use d'abord, ensuite, enfin when:
- The sequence is part of a narrative or instruction.
- You have two to four items.
- The register is neutral or casual.
D'abord on s'inscrit, ensuite on paie, enfin on reçoit la confirmation.
First you register, then you pay, finally you get the confirmation. (instructional, casual — *d'abord/ensuite/enfin*)
L'argument repose sur trois piliers : premièrement la légitimité, deuxièmement la stabilité, troisièmement l'efficacité.
The argument rests on three pillars: first legitimacy, second stability, third efficiency. (academic — ordinals)
En premier lieu, en second lieu, en dernier lieu: the structural sequence
The phrases en premier lieu, en second lieu, en troisième lieu, en dernier lieu (literally in the first place, in the second place, in the last place) are (formal) alternatives to the ordinals. They are common in essays, opinion pieces, formal speeches, and academic prose.
En premier lieu, il faut considérer le contexte. En second lieu, il convient d'analyser les causes. En dernier lieu, on examinera les conséquences.
In the first place, the context must be considered. In the second place, the causes should be analyzed. In the last place, we will examine the consequences.
En premier lieu, je voudrais remercier nos invités. En dernier lieu, je conclurai par quelques observations.
In the first place, I would like to thank our guests. In the last place, I will conclude with a few remarks.
These phrases sound elevated — they are the kind of language one finds in editorials and political speeches. In casual or even neutral writing they would feel pompous. Reserve them for genuinely formal contexts.
The phrase en outre (furthermore) and par ailleurs (moreover) belong to the same formal-essay register and often combine with these structural sequencers; they are covered on the d'une part, d'autre part page.
Avant tout: above all, first and foremost
Avant tout (literally before everything) means above all, first and foremost. It is not a strict sequence marker but signals priority — what is most important, before any other consideration.
Avant tout, il faut écouter le client.
Above all, you have to listen to the client.
Je suis avant tout un père.
I am above all a father.
Avant tout, ne paniquez pas.
First and foremost, don't panic.
Avant tout is (neutral) and works in any register. It is more emphatic than d'abord — d'abord simply marks the first step, avant tout signals that this matters most. The two are not interchangeable: a recipe starts with d'abord, a piece of life advice starts with avant tout.
D'abord, prenez la farine. Avant tout, ne renversez pas le sucre.
First, get the flour. Above all, don't spill the sugar. (different functions — *d'abord* is sequence, *avant tout* is priority)
The variant par-dessus tout (literally above everything) means above all else and is more emphatic still. It is (formal-leaning).
Pour commencer and pour finir: framing markers
Less common but useful: pour commencer (to begin with) and pour finir (to finish) frame a sequence by referring to its boundaries.
Pour commencer, je vais vous présenter le contexte.
To begin with, I'll present the context to you.
Pour finir, quelques mots sur l'avenir.
To finish, a few words about the future.
Pour commencer, choisissez un thème. Pour finir, vérifiez votre orthographe.
To begin with, choose a topic. To finish, check your spelling.
These are (neutral) and work especially well in oral presentations, where the speaker is explicitly framing what comes first and last. They overlap with d'abord and enfin but feel slightly more deliberate, more presentational.
The full inventory
| Marker | Position | Register | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| d'abord | First | neutral | Sequence opener — everyday |
| premièrement | First | formal | Structured argument |
| en premier lieu | First | formal | Essay, formal speech |
| pour commencer | First | neutral | Presentational opener |
| avant tout | Priority | neutral | Above all — emphasis on importance |
| ensuite | Middle | neutral | Standard middle marker |
| puis | Middle | neutral, slightly casual | Lighter middle marker |
| après | Middle | casual | Casual after that |
| deuxièmement | Second | formal | Structured argument |
| en second lieu | Second | formal | Essay, formal speech |
| enfin | Last | neutral | Last in list |
| pour finir | Last | neutral | Presentational closer |
| en dernier lieu | Last | formal | Essay, formal speech |
| finalement | Outcome | neutral | Not sequencing — final outcome |
The classic trap: enfin vs finalement
The single most common learner error in this family is using finalement for the last item in a list.
❌ Premièrement, deuxièmement, finalement, troisièmement.
*Finalement* doesn't sequence — use *enfin* for last-in-list
✅ Premièrement, deuxièmement, enfin, troisièmement.
First, second, finally, third.
The distinction:
- Enfin = last in a list. Sequence marker.
- Finalement = in the end, after consideration. Outcome marker.
Après beaucoup de réflexion, finalement, j'ai dit oui.
After a lot of thought, in the end, I said yes. (*finalement* — outcome)
D'abord A, ensuite B, enfin C.
First A, then B, finally C. (*enfin* — sequence)
The two markers come close in meaning but live in different functional slots. Mark them as separate words in your mental vocabulary.
Differences from English
English speakers tend to translate first to first and finally to finally, which is broadly correct but sometimes lands on the wrong French word. Three traps:
- Confusing enfin and finalement. Both translate as finally. Choose by function: list-final vs outcome-final.
- Underusing puis. English does not have a casual variant of then the way French has ensuite / puis. Learners default to ensuite in all contexts; native speakers vary it with puis.
- Translating first of all literally. English first of all maps cleanly to avant tout when emphasizing priority, but to d'abord when starting a list. Picking the wrong one shifts emphasis.
❌ Avant tout, lavez les tomates.
In a recipe step, *avant tout* implies priority and sounds wrong — use *d'abord*
✅ D'abord, lavez les tomates.
First, wash the tomatoes.
Common mistakes
❌ Premièrement, ensuite, finalement.
Don't mix register systems within one sequence
✅ Premièrement, deuxièmement, troisièmement.
First, second, third. (formal sequence)
✅ D'abord, ensuite, enfin.
First, then, finally. (neutral sequence)
❌ D'abord d'abord, je voudrais te dire…
No reduplication of *d'abord*
✅ D'abord, je voudrais te dire…
First, I'd like to tell you…
❌ Premièrement, je suis fatigué.
In casual speech, *premièrement* sounds stilted
✅ D'abord, je suis fatigué.
First, I'm tired.
❌ Pour conclure, finalement, je voudrais ajouter…
*Pour conclure* and *finalement* are redundant
✅ Pour conclure, je voudrais ajouter…
To conclude, I'd like to add…
❌ En dernier lieu, on prend l'apéro.
*En dernier lieu* is too formal for a casual social plan
✅ Pour finir, on prend l'apéro.
To finish, we'll have drinks.
❌ D'abord, premièrement, je veux dire…
Don't double up on opening sequencers
✅ Premièrement, je veux dire…
First, I want to say…
The first error mixes registers within a single sequence. The second is empty reduplication. The third is a register slip — premièrement belongs to formal writing. The fourth combines two markers that do similar work, producing redundancy. The fifth uses a formal phrase in a casual context. The sixth doubles up where one marker is enough.
Practical advice for learners
For learners building toward A2 and B1, the priority order is:
- Master d'abord, ensuite, enfin first. This trio handles the great majority of everyday sequencing — recipes, instructions, narratives, simple arguments.
- Add puis as a casual variant for ensuite. It lightens speech and avoids repetition.
- Learn the ordinals (premièrement, deuxièmement, troisièmement) for formal writing. They are essential for argumentative essays, business writing, and structured presentations.
- Distinguish enfin from finalement explicitly. This is the most persistent learner error in the family. Drill it.
- Add avant tout when you want to mark priority. It is not the same as d'abord; it signals what matters most, not what comes first in time.
Putting it all together
A typical neutral-register paragraph using the core trio:
Voici ma routine matinale. D'abord, je me lève à sept heures. Ensuite, je prends une douche et je m'habille. Puis je prépare le café et je lis les nouvelles. Enfin, je sors pour aller au travail vers huit heures.
Here's my morning routine. First, I get up at seven. Then, I take a shower and get dressed. Then I make coffee and read the news. Finally, I leave for work around eight.
A typical formal-register paragraph using the ordinals:
Cette politique présente plusieurs avantages. Premièrement, elle réduit les inégalités. Deuxièmement, elle stimule la croissance. Troisièmement, elle favorise la cohésion sociale. Enfin, elle améliore la confiance des citoyens dans les institutions.
This policy has several advantages. First, it reduces inequalities. Second, it stimulates growth. Third, it promotes social cohesion. Finally, it improves citizens' trust in institutions.
Note how the formal paragraph uses ordinals for the numbered points but closes with enfin — this is normal and idiomatic. Enfin is register-neutral and pairs comfortably with the formal ordinals.
Key takeaways
- The core trio: d'abord (first), ensuite (then), enfin (finally). Neutral register; works everywhere.
- Puis is a slightly more casual variant of ensuite; use it to vary speech.
- The formal ordinals (premièrement, deuxièmement, troisièmement) belong to written argumentation and structured discourse.
- The structural phrases (en premier lieu, en second lieu, en dernier lieu) are heavier and more formal still.
- Avant tout signals priority, not sequence — what matters most, not what comes first.
- Pour commencer and pour finir frame a sequence by its boundaries; useful in presentations.
- The classic trap: enfin sequences a list, finalement announces an outcome. They are not interchangeable.
- For most everyday and intermediate-level uses, d'abord, ensuite, puis, enfin cover everything you need.
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