Word
Nous allons étudier le taux de naissance.
Meaning
We are going to study the birth rate.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Nous allons étudier le taux de naissance.
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
étudier
to study
aller
to go
Questions & Answers about Nous allons étudier le taux de naissance.
Why use nous allons étudier here instead of the futur simple (nous étudierons)?
Nous allons étudier is the futur proche (near future), formed with the verb aller (to go) plus an infinitive. It translates to "we are going to study." It's used here because studying the birth rate is a definite, planned action that is likely happening soon. The futur simple (nous étudierons / "we will study") would sound more like a distant prediction or a promise for the vague future.
Why does taux end in an "x" if it is singular?
Why is it taux de naissance and not taux de la naissance?
When a noun modifies another noun to describe its type or purpose, French connects them with a simple de (without le or la). Here, de naissance describes what kind of rate it is (a birth rate), rather than talking about a specific, single birth. You've seen this rule before in phrases like jus de pomme (apple juice).
How do I pronounce the word taux?