Learn French: Mon oncle va prendre sa retraite demain. - My uncle is going to retire tomorrow.

Mon oncle va prendre sa retraite demain.

My uncle is going to retire tomorrow.

Breakdown of Mon oncle va prendre sa retraite demain.

prendre

to have (a meal/drink) / to take

Questions & Answers about Mon oncle va prendre sa retraite demain.

Why does this sentence use va prendre instead of the future tense prendra?

We use the futur proche (va prendre) rather than the futur simple (prendra) because the action is happening very soon (demain) and is a definitely scheduled event. The futur proche is perfect for immediate or planned actions!

Wait, doesn't French have a single verb for 'to retire'?

To say 'to retire' from a job, French usually uses the expression prendre sa retraite, which literally means to take one's retirement. While the verb se retirer exists, it mostly means to physically withdraw or step back from a place, not to stop working for good.

Why do we say sa retraite (feminine) if the uncle is a man?

Possessive adjectives in French always agree with the gender of the thing being owned, not the owner. Because the word retraite is feminine, we must use the feminine sa, even though the person retiring (mon oncle) is a man.