Learn French: Elle parle sans s'arrêter. - She talks without stopping.

Elle parle sans s'arrêter.

She talks without stopping.

Breakdown of Elle parle sans s'arrêter.

Questions & Answers about Elle parle sans s'arrêter.

Why does French use the infinitive s'arrêter instead of an "-ing" word for "stopping"?

In French, prepositions like sans (without), pour (for), and de (of/from) are almost always followed by the infinitive form of a verb (the unconjugated dictionary form). While English says "without stopping", French essentially says "without to stop".

Why is there an s' before arrêter? Couldn't we just say sans arrêter?

The verb s'arrêter is reflexive, meaning "to stop oneself" or to stop doing what you are currently doing. The regular verb arrêter is typically used when you stop something else (like stopping a car or a person). Since she is stopping her own action, we need the reflexive form.

If the sentence was "I talk without stopping", would it still be sans s'arrêter?

No, the reflexive pronoun must always match the subject! For "I talk", the subject is je, so the pronoun becomes m': Je parle sans m'arrêter. Even when the main verb stays in its infinitive form, you still have to change the little pronoun to match who is doing the action.

Do you pronounce the "s" at the end of sans?

No, the final "s" in sans is silent. You don't make a liaison (a linked sound) with the next word here, so it simply sounds like "sahn" before you say s'arrêter.