French language Q&A Forum

Some advice please on when to use vouloir in the present versus the conditional for "I want".  In English, insofar as I know, we don't distinguish between "I want" and "I would like".  On second though, perhaps "I want" expresses a slightly stronger desire.

Can we use possessive adjectives instead of the definite articles? Why not? 

- Pourquoi ma chatte s'est-elle léché sa patte ? [Why did my cat lick HER paw?]

- Tu te laves tes mains? [Are you washing YOUR hands?]

- Il se lave ses cheveux. [He's washing HIS hair.]

It is a little confusing, could you please explain?

Scratching my head as usual on this subject. This time concerning "et j'ai joué de moins en moins".  Since I was doing this (playing) less and less, surely that means I was continuing to do it in the past, if I'd only done it once as a completed action, I ipso facto couldn't have been doing it "less and less"!  - hence, I thought,  "Je jouais de moins en moins". Why is it Passé composé? (Will I EVER get my head round this particular issue: it's always the thing that trips me up!)

The hint says not to use potiron. Then the answer uses potiron!