Breakdown of Il est dix heures et nous devons commencer la réunion.
être
to be
et
and
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
commencer
to start
la réunion
the meeting
dix
ten
l'heure
the hour / o'clock (f)
il
it (impersonal subject)
devoir
to have to / must
Questions & Answers about Il est dix heures et nous devons commencer la réunion.
How does the verb devoir work in this sentence?
Why is commencer in its full dictionary form?
Because it directly follows another conjugated verb (devons). When you have two verbs back-to-back like "must start", the first one is conjugated (nous devons) and the second one stays in the infinitive form (commencer).
Why do we use Il est to say "it is" ten o'clock instead of C'est?
In French, you must always use il est when stating the time. Even though c'est is the most common way to say "it is" in other situations, time is a strict exception.
How do I pronounce dix heures together?
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