French language Q&A Forum

When do you use the definite article with countries and regions?There's a kwiziq lesson about this: Using le, la, l', les with continents, countries & regions names (definite articles)

But in the text, country and region names are never accompanied by the definite article. E.g., "Duché de Bretagne," "royaume de France," "couronne de France," etc. 

Also, I translated "beforehand" as "à l'avance" instead of "au préalable," which I thought were the same thing, but it wasn't one of the accepted answers.

Why is reposer used in the final sentence as a translation of leaving the tart to set? Doesn't reposer just imply leave it to rest (in the fridge) with no mention of setting?,

Can you also use the verb détester as in je déteste

Où se trouve ce pont magnifique?

la fin de la deuxième phrase - les termes que le Chancelier allemand Adolf Hitler LUI imposerait. 

 "LUI" parce que les termes seraient imposés au maréchal Pétain.          ou

"Y" parce que les termes seraient imposés à la France.    (...la France accepterait les termes que le Chancelier allemand Adolf Hitler y imposerait.)

Advised by Cecile: "But the construction you suggest ending with a pronoun might be used by a very young French child but isn't correct French."

 I have never seen it so pointedly stated anywhere. Seems to me once you 'learn' that faux pas you are halfway through the struggles of using pronouns....where to put them.

I find this advice so clarifying. I may be making too much of a big deal abut it...but it hit me like a lightbulb.

Do you think, modified a little,  it is advisable to adopt as  rote? Would it hold up universally enough. 

Do not put your object pronouns at the end of a sentence (after the verb) UNLESS it is the STRESS VERSION OF THE PRONOUN. 

I had a more difficult time than usual understanding some of the French in this particular exercise.  There were certain phrases or words that seemed to have a different rhythm or pronunciation to them.   Conversations between two French people are one of the most difficult things for me to understand so that may explain my problems!  However, I was curious to know if the men spoke with a regional French accent?  Thanks 

Is J'etais = Je fus? i am confused because both mean "I was"

Is ‘its been a long time since ‘ always followed by a verb in the negative? Some language sites seem to have sentences without a negative.

This was possibly the most difficult C1 exercise that I have tackled.  Nevertheless, I tried it.  I scored myself at 40 out of 70.  It simply points out how far I have to go.  Thanks for the challenge.