Is there a logical explanation for why we don't say "rendre visite aux"? For example, we can say "Je rendre visite à mes parents" but we can't say "Je rends visite aux mes parents"?
Rendre visite + aux
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Jean d.Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Rendre visite + aux
This question relates to:French lesson "Visiter vs Rendre visite à whether you visit a place or a person"
Asked 1 year ago
Jim's right. Since aux is grammatically à + les, you can't have à les mes parents. That's grammatical nonsense. But you could have, e.g.,
Je rendre visite aux parents de ma petite amie. -- I visit my girlfriend's parents.
Jim J. Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Jean,
Aux --> à les
You ask why not "Je rends visite aux mes parents" ?
1) Let's rewrite the above including your proposal "Je rends visite à les (aux) mes parents"
2) Let's now drop "mes" leaving only "aux" -- whose parents? Immediately there is an ambiguity introduced.
The term is "rendre visit à" --> aller voir qqn
Hope this helps clarify the grammar for you.
Bonne Journée
Jim
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