Breakdown of Ce tiroir est petit, mais je l'aime.
je
I
être
to be
petit
small / short
mais
but
aimer
to like, to love
ce
this (before a noun)
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
le tiroir
the drawer
Questions & Answers about Ce tiroir est petit, mais je l'aime.
Why is it je l'aime instead of je aime le?
In French, direct object pronouns like le (it) must come directly before the verb, not after. Also, because the verb aime starts with a vowel, le drops its vowel and forms a contraction with the verb, becoming l'.
How do we know l' means 'it' and not 'him' or 'her'?
Why is it Ce tiroir and not Cet tiroir?
Doesn't aimer mean 'to love'? Why is it translated as 'I like it'?
It depends on what you are talking about! When you use aimer with people or pets, it means 'to love'. But when you use it with everyday things or objects like a drawer, it translates to 'to like'.
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