Breakdown of Ce médecin ne boit pas d'alcool.
ne
not (used before the verb)
pas
not (used after the verb)
ce
this (before a noun)
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
boire
to drink
le médecin
the doctor
l'alcool
the alcohol (m)
Questions & Answers about Ce médecin ne boit pas d'alcool.
Why is it pas d'alcool instead of pas de l'alcool?
Why does de change to d' here?
Because alcool starts with a vowel. In French, when short words ending in e (like de, ne, or le) are followed by a word starting with a vowel, they drop the e and use an apostrophe. This makes the words flow together smoothly when speaking.
If the doctor was a woman, would the sentence start with cette médecin?
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