Learn French: Si tu as peur, tu éviteras le chat noir. - If you are afraid, you will avoid the black cat.

Si tu as peur, tu éviteras le chat noir.

If you are afraid, you will avoid the black cat.

Breakdown of Si tu as peur, tu éviteras le chat noir.

you (informal singular)

Questions & Answers about Si tu as peur, tu éviteras le chat noir.

How does the 'if' pattern work in this sentence?

This sentence is a perfect example of the first conditional! You use Si (If) followed by the present tense (tu as) for the condition, and then the future tense (tu éviteras) for the result. It literally translates to 'If [present], then [future].'

Why does the sentence use tu as (you have) instead of tu es (you are) for 'you are afraid'?

In French, you don't say that you are afraid; you say that you have fear. Avoir peur is a set phrase. So, 'you are afraid' translates to tu as peur using the verb avoir (to have).

How is the future tense verb éviteras (will avoid) formed here?

For regular verbs ending in -er like éviter (to avoid), you form the future tense by taking the full dictionary form of the verb (éviter) and adding the future endings. For the tu form, the ending is -as, giving us tu éviteras.

Why is it chat noir instead of noir chat?

Unlike in English, most French adjectives come after the noun they describe. This is an absolute rule for colors, which is why noir (black) comes directly after le chat (the cat).