Learn French: Je tousse comme mon frère.

Je tousse comme mon frère.

I cough like my brother.

Breakdown of Je tousse comme mon frère.

Questions & Answers about Je tousse comme mon frère.

Why is the word comme used here instead of comment?

These two words can be confusing for beginners! Use comment for questions, like asking 'How are you?'. Use comme when you want to say 'like' or 'as' to compare two things, such as saying you cough like your brother (comme mon frère).

Could I use this sentence to answer a pourquoi (why) question?

Not quite! If someone asks Pourquoi tu tousses ? (Why are you coughing?), they want a reason. You would answer using parce que (because), for example: Parce que je suis malade (Because I am sick). This sentence with comme just describes how you are coughing, not why.

How do I pronounce tousse? Do I say the 'e' at the end?

No, the -e at the end of tousse is silent. You pronounce it similar to the English word 'loose'. The ou makes an 'oo' sound, and the double ss makes a sharp 's' sound.

Is the verb for 'to cough' a regular verb?

Yes! The infinitive (the basic dictionary form) is tousser (to cough), which is a regular -er verb. Because the subject is je (I), you drop the -er and add an -e to get je tousse.