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Le détective observe le suspect.

Le détective observe le suspect.
The detective is observing the suspect.
From Lesson 128:Past tense with negative pronouns (je n'ai rien vu)·French

Breakdown of Le détective observe le suspect.

le détective
the detective
observer
to observe
le suspect
the suspect

Questions & Answers about Le détective observe le suspect.

Why is the French verb observe used here instead of a direct translation for 'is observing'?
In French, there is no separate tense for actions happening right now like our '-ing' verbs in English. The simple present tense verb observe covers both 'observes' and 'is observing'.
Do I pronounce the 'ct' at the end of suspect?
No. Even though it is spelled exactly like the English word, the final letters 'ct' in the French noun suspect are completely silent.
How would I change this sentence to say 'The detective observed no one' in the passé composé?
You would say Le détective n'a observé personne. As you are learning in this lesson, the negative pronoun personne (no one) is placed after the past participle (observé).
What if the detective observed nothing in the past? Where does rien go?
It would be Le détective n'a rien observé. Unlike personne, the negative pronoun rien (nothing) is placed before the past participle, wedged right after the helping verb (a).
Is détective always a masculine word?
It is usually masculine (le détective), but it becomes feminine (la détective) if you are referring to a female detective. The spelling of the word itself doesn't change.

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