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Questions answered by our learning community with help from expert French teachers
14,652 questions • 31,758 answers • 960,641 learners
I'm a bit confused about the status of indirect objects as described in this lesson (and in the video). To my knowledge of English grammar, in "I speak to Paul", "to Paul" is a prepositional phrase and not a preposition (to) + an indirect object (Paul). Also, as far as I know indirect objects cannot occur without the presence of direct objects.
Can I instead just memorize that you use the pronouns "lui" and "leur" only with verbs that are normally followed by "à"?
Is this lesson basically telling us to memorize these select phrases? Because it doesn't tell us when else to use imperative subjunctive. How can we know?
Is the French horn simply "cor" in France?
Why can't I write it Madame Lepic instead of Mme?
I love how the audio has a female voice saying each of the feminine nouns, and a male voice for the masculine ones. I expect that actually will help us to remember the gender for these listed body parts if we play it a few times -- thank you!
I'm learning to play the guitar.
J'apprends à jouer de la guitare.
It's quite difficult because I'm a bit old to start [learning] an instrument.
C'est assez difficile parce que je suis un peu vieux pour commencer à apprendre un instrument.
I'm happy with my progress, and I hope to continue like this!
Je suis content de mes progrès, et j'espère continuer comme ça !
In the lesson it explicitly states "Note that in French, if you're using après + [verbe], we consider that this action always takes place in the past of when you're speaking. "
However the following was a question for the tests on the lesson.
"After going food shopping, I'll help you with your homework." This is neither 'said in the past' NOR actually already happed(ie 'in the past'). While inelegant, it means "After i go shopping I will help you ..." The stipulated correct answer was "Après avoir fait les courses, je t'aiderai avec tes devoirs.'
Seems to fit the following translation "Apres je aurai fait les courses, je t'aiderai avec tes devoirs. Since both aactions are scheduled for the future with the homework help being predicated on the shopping being done.
In the sentence 'plus on parle le français dans un pays, plus on y vend de produits français' why is it 'de' and not 'des' ?
I encountered these two sentences in a language learning tool:
"J'ai voulu être un écrivain célèbre toute ma vie"
"J'ai toujours rêvé d'être un joueur de golf professionnel"
I'd like to know the reason why Passé Composé is used rather than L'imparfait.
And also, why "un joueur" is used despite the fact that we don't use indefinite articles when talking about professions?
Thanks a lot.
I used énorme for huge and it got the redline with only 'immense' indicated as correct: a response here from Cécile some time ago stated she used 'énorme' when running through the exercise also.
I frequently come across responses where it would seem either ensuite or puis can be used, but mostly only one is accepted, and I always seem to choose the "unaccepted" word ! (That is why my gambling is limited) Again, a previous response from Cécile in another exercise indicated they are essentially interchangeable, as Larousse also indicates.
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/questions/view/what-is-the-difference-between-ensuite-and-puis
https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/puis/65014
Can both énorme and ensuite be added ?
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