Je n'ai pas encore trouvé le trésor !
I haven't found the treasure yet!
It seems to me that "not yet" expresses something that's ongoing, so should always be in the present like the second example. In the first example I'm still searching for the treasure, so shouldn't it be in the present? Is it the "haven't" that changes the tense?
Thanks in advance.
Bonjour Patrick,
The difference in tenses reflects how French uses pas encore (not yet) with different time perspectives:
-> This uses Le Passé Composé because finding something is a completed action. You're saying: I haven't found the treasure yet. / I don't know where the treasure is yet. You are looking back from the present at whether this action has happened.
-> This uses Le Présent because thinking is an ongoing state or activity. You're describing what you're currently (not) doing.
The pattern is:
- Passé composé + pas encore = for actions/events which refer to something still active that you expect to happen. ("I haven't arrived yet", "She hasn't called yet")
- Présent + pas encore = for a state of being that you expect to change. ("She hasn't arrived yet", "She's not here yet.")
So if you were describing a current state related to the treasure, you might say "Je ne sais pas encore où est le trésor" (= I don't yet know where the treasure is) - present tense for the ongoing state of not knowing.
The choice depends on whether you're talking about something that happened (completed action) or something you are/do (state/ongoing activity).
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !
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