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D'abord, nous mesurons, et ensuite nous coupons !

D'abord, nous mesurons, et ensuite nous coupons !
First, we measure, and then we cut!
From Lesson 96:Sequence connectors (d'abord, puis...)·French

Questions & Answers about D'abord, nous mesurons, et ensuite nous coupons !

Why is it D'abord instead of Premier to say 'First'?
Premier is an adjective used to describe a noun, like 'the first house'. When you are listing steps in a sequence and mean 'firstly' or 'first of all', you must use the sequential connector d'abord.
Can I say et puis instead of et ensuite in this sentence?
Yes! Both ensuite and puis are sequential connectors meaning 'then' or 'next'. Et ensuite is very common to emphasize the next physical step, but et puis would also be completely correct and natural here.
Are mesurons and coupons regular verbs?
Yes, they are the nous forms of the regular -er verbs mesurer (to measure) and couper (to cut). You just drop the -er from the infinitive and add the standard -ons ending for nous.
Is the apostrophe in D'abord a contraction of de?
Exactly! It literally comes from de + abord. The word abord refers to the approach or start of something, but you will almost always see it written together as d'abord when used as a sequencing word.

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