Breakdown of Le pharmacien nous donne une ordonnance.
une
a / an (feminine)
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
donner
to give
le pharmacien
the pharmacist
Questions & Answers about Le pharmacien nous donne une ordonnance.
Why is nous placed before donne?
In French, object pronouns like nous always go before the conjugated verb, unlike in English where they go after. So instead of saying 'gives us', French says 'us gives' (nous donne).
How do I know if nous means 'us' or 'to us' in this sentence?
The verb donner follows the pattern donner quelque chose à quelqu'un (to give something to someone). Because of this, nous acts as an indirect object here, meaning it has the 'to' built into it: 'to us'.
Wait, why does the verb end in -e (donne) if nous is right next to it? Shouldn't it be donnons?
Why does the French sentence use ordonnance instead of just saying 'prescription'?
Ordonnance is the standard French word for a medical prescription. The word prescription exists in French too, but it generally refers to legal rules, recommendations, or a statute of limitations, not a piece of paper for the pharmacy!