D'en--how to you it and it is required?

MichelleC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

D'en--how to you it and it is required?

As you don't have a skill relating to d'en, I'm linking this to the skill related to de phrases and en.

I'm guessing that d'en, as I keep hearing it, replaces "des/de + noun" (though I'm still somewhat confused about it). But it is really necessary to use d'en? Couldn't you just use le/la/les (or in some cases, ça/cela). As in "J'aurais mieux fait d'en prendre." could I just say "J'aurais mieux fait les prendre"?? If d'en is required, how do I know when I need to use it as opposed to le/la/les (apart from 'fixed' expressions like "d'en haut")?

Asked 4 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Michelle,

 The 'd'en' is because of the expression -

'faire mieux de' which is always tricky to translate in English.

e.g.

Le jour où je l'ai rencontré , j'aurais mieux fait de me casser une jambe The day I met him I'd have been better breaking a leg

Tu ferais mieux de le contacter aujourd'hui = You'd be better contacting him today

J'aurais mieux fait d'en prendre I'd have been better taking some 

Vous auriez mieux fait de les emmener avec vous You'd have been better taking them with you

The pronoun rules are the same as always.

Hoe this helps!

 

D'en--how to you it and it is required?

As you don't have a skill relating to d'en, I'm linking this to the skill related to de phrases and en.

I'm guessing that d'en, as I keep hearing it, replaces "des/de + noun" (though I'm still somewhat confused about it). But it is really necessary to use d'en? Couldn't you just use le/la/les (or in some cases, ça/cela). As in "J'aurais mieux fait d'en prendre." could I just say "J'aurais mieux fait les prendre"?? If d'en is required, how do I know when I need to use it as opposed to le/la/les (apart from 'fixed' expressions like "d'en haut")?

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