Pourquoi and pour ça both translate to “why,” but serve distinct grammatical functions. Pourquoi asks questions about reasons, while c’est pour ça provides explanations or emphasizes consequences. Pourquoi: the interrogative adverb Pourquoi means “why” and introduces questions seeking reasons or causes. It can appear in direct questions, indirect questions, and occasionally as a noun. Direct…
The English word “should” expresses obligation, advice, expectation, probability, moral judgement, and hypothetical reasoning. French does not use a single equivalent. Translation depends on function, register, and time reference, most commonly using devoir, the conditional mood, the indicative, or impersonal constructions. Obligation and strong recommendation When “should” indicates obligation or a strong recommendation, French most…
The English word “could” expresses several distinct ideas, including past ability, successful past opportunity, present or future possibility, polite suggestion, permission, hypothesis, and unreal past events. French does not have a single equivalent. Translation depends on function and context, most commonly using forms of pouvoir, the conditional mood, or other structures. Past ability in general…
French verb endings often mark the difference between singular and plural in writing, but not always in speech. In many cases, the spelling changes while the pronunciation remains identical. In other cases, the plural form produces a clearly audible difference. Understanding when plural forms can be heard, and when they cannot, is essential for listening…
Many French sports and leisure activities are expressed with the structure faire du, faire de la or faire de l’ followed by the activity noun. English often uses a verb such as ski, cycle, sail or swim, whereas French frequently uses faire plus a noun phrase. This construction covers a wide range of activities, including…
The French pronoun y is an invariable object pronoun. It most often replaces a complement introduced by à or a place previously mentioned or understood. It usually answers the question “to what?” or “where?”. It appears before the verb, except in affirmative imperatives. Core meanings and functions Replacing a place complement y replaces a complement…
French offers multiple ways to express the concept of “first,” each suited to different contexts. The choice depends on whether you’re describing ordinal position, temporal priority, or organizing arguments in discourse. Premier and première: the ordinal adjective Premier (masculine) and première (feminine) function as adjectives meaning “first” in sequential or hierarchical ordering. They agree in…
France marks the transition from one year to the next with practices that differ in several respects from those of English-speaking countries. Many customs emphasise well-wishing, sociability, and extended greeting periods. New Year’s Eve: la Saint-Sylvestre The evening of 31 December is la Saint-Sylvestre. Celebrations focus on a festive dinner known as le réveillon de…
French uses quand même in several common ways. It can express concession, emphasis, impatience, mild reproach, surprise, or insistence. Its meaning depends on tone and context, but it consistently adds a sense of “despite this,” “all the same,” or “still.” It appears in both formal and informal registers and can modify an entire clause or…
French frequently combines expressions of quantity with an infinitive to describe tasks, obligations, potential actions, or intended outcomes. These constructions are especially common with avoir, but avoir is not a grammatical requirement. The governing verb can vary, provided it can introduce a noun phrase that the infinitive logically modifies. 1. The core structure The general…