French Phrase
Je me tiens au courant en lisant des articles d'actu.
Meaning
I keep myself up to date by reading news articles. The sentence emphasizes a personal habit of staying informed through regular reading of current‑affairs pieces.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to explain how you stay informed about current events, especially in casual conversation or when discussing your daily routine of following the news.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jemetiensaucourantenlisantdesarticlesd'actu
se tenir au courant
An idiomatic expression meaning 'to stay informed' or 'to keep up to date'. It uses the reflexive verb 'se tenir' followed by the prepositional phrase 'au courant'.
gerundive en + present participle
The construction 'en lisant' expresses the means by which the action of the main verb is achieved, similar to 'by reading' in English.
partitive article des
Used before a plural noun to indicate an indefinite quantity: 'des articles' = 'some articles'.
abbreviation d'actu
Short for 'd'actualité', common in spoken and informal written French, especially in media contexts.
🗨In Conversation
Comment tu restes informé sur ce qui se passe dans le monde ?
How do you stay informed about what's happening in the world?
Je me tiens au courant en lisant des articles d'actu chaque matin.
I keep myself up to date by reading news articles every morning.
✕Common Mistakes
Je me tiens à jour en lisant des articles d'actu.
The correct idiom is 'se tenir au courant', not 'se tenir à jour'.
Je me tiens au courant en lire des articles d'actu.
After 'en' you need the present participle (gerund) form, not the infinitive.
Je me tiens au courant en lisant des articles d'actualité.
Both 'd'actu' and 'd'actualité' are fine, but mixing the abbreviation with the full form in the same sentence can sound inconsistent.
↔Alternatives
Je me tiens informé en lisant les actualités.
I keep myself informed by reading the news.
Je reste au courant grâce à la lecture d'articles d'actualité.
I stay up to date thanks to reading news articles.
Je me mets à jour en parcourant les journaux en ligne.
I update myself by browsing online newspapers.
Cultural Tip
The expression 'se tenir au courant' is neutral and works in both formal and informal contexts. The shortened 'd'actu' is colloquial and typical in spoken French, blogs, and social media. In more formal writing you would use 'd'actualité'. Also, French speakers often combine this phrase with 'les actualités' or 'les infos' depending on the medium (TV, newspapers, internet).