Breakdown of J'achète cet oignon.
Questions & Answers about J'achète cet oignon.
Why is it cet instead of ce?
Both ce and cet mean this or that for masculine nouns. Normally, you use ce for masculine words. However, because oignon starts with a vowel, saying ce oignon is hard to pronounce. French uses cet before a masculine noun starting with a vowel or a silent 'h' so the words flow together smoothly. Why is it J'achète and not Je achète?
When short words like je (I) end in a vowel and the next word also starts with a vowel, French drops the first vowel and adds an apostrophe. Since achète starts with an 'a', je becomes j' to make it easier to say out loud. Why does achète have an accent mark (è) when the dictionary form acheter doesn't?
Acheter (to buy) is a verb that slightly changes its spelling when conjugated. For forms like je, tu, il, and ils, a grave accent is added to the first 'e' (achète) to change how the vowel sounds. You do not add this accent for the nous and vous forms. Does J'achète mean I buy or I am buying?
It translates to both! French does not have a separate verb tense for actions happening right now (like the English -ing form). You use the standard present tense J'achète to mean either I buy in general or I am buying at this exact moment. Learn J'achète cet oignon and more in French
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