Learn French: D'abord, nous nettoyons le mur, puis nous préparons la peinture. - First, we clean the wall, then we prepare the paint.

D'abord, nous nettoyons le mur, puis nous préparons la peinture.

First, we clean the wall, then we prepare the paint.

Breakdown of D'abord, nous nettoyons le mur, puis nous préparons la peinture.

nous

we / us (object pronoun)

Questions & Answers about D'abord, nous nettoyons le mur, puis nous préparons la peinture.

Are puis and ensuite interchangeable here?

Yes! Both mean "then" or "next" and are used to connect events in a sequence. You could just as easily say ensuite, nous préparons la peinture in this sentence without changing the meaning.

Why is there an apostrophe in d'abord?

It is a contraction of de (of/from) and abord (an approach). Today, it is a set phrase that simply means "first" or "first of all". It is the most common way to introduce the very first step in a series of actions.

Doesn't the verb nettoyer usually change its y to an i? Why is it nous nettoyons here?

You are right that nettoyer (to clean) is a stem-changing verb! However, the y only changes to an i for the singular pronouns (like je nettoie) and the ils/elles form. The nous and vous forms keep the original y, so it remains nous nettoyons.

Does la peinture mean "the paint" or "the painting"?

It can mean both! La peinture is used for the liquid paint itself, the activity of painting, and a finished piece of art (a painting). In this sentence, because we are getting ready to put it on a wall, it clearly means the liquid paint.