même vs identique

French word comparison

How they differ

Identique is used for two things that are exactly alike in every relevant detail. Même is much broader: it can mean "same," but also "even" or "self" depending on context, so it is not interchangeable in all uses.

When to use each

When to use même: Use même when you mean "the same" in a broader, more context-dependent way, or when the word has the sense of "even" or "self."

When to use identique: Use identique when you want to stress exact equality or a complete match.

Side-by-side examples

1. Nous avons le même numéro de téléphone.
   (We have the same phone number.)
2. Nous avons un numéro de téléphone identique.
   (We have an identical phone number.)

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More même comparisons

• même vs pareil
• même vs semblable