Breakdown of D'abord, nous réparons le mur pour peindre.
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
pour
for
d'abord
first, first of all
le mur
the wall
réparer
to repair
peindre
to paint
Questions & Answers about D'abord, nous réparons le mur pour peindre.
What does d'abord literally mean, and why is there an apostrophe?
D'abord is used to mean "first" or "first of all". It is a contraction of de (of/from) and abord (outset/approach). When listing a sequence of events, you will usually put it at the very beginning of your sentence, followed by a comma.
Can I put d'abord at the end of the sentence instead?
It is much more natural and standard to place sequence words like d'abord, ensuite, and puis at the beginning of the sentence or clause they introduce. While you might hear native speakers occasionally tag it on the end in casual speech (Nous réparons le mur d'abord), putting it first is the best habit to build!
Why do we use pour before peindre?
In French, when you want to express the purpose of an action (meaning "in order to"), you use pour followed by an infinitive verb (the unconjugated dictionary form, like peindre). English speakers often just say "to paint", but in French, leaving out pour would sound incomplete here.
Are any letters silent in the word d'abord?
Yes! The final 'd' is completely silent, so it sounds roughly like "dah-bor". The first 'd' is pronounced and blends smoothly into the 'a'.
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