Question 1

Why do we use d' before exprimer?

Accepted Answer

In French, when you use the impersonal structure C'est + adjective (like C'est important) followed by an action, you must connect them with the preposition de. Because exprimer starts with a vowel, de shortens to d'.

Question 2

Could I say Il est important d'exprimer cette émotion instead?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can! Both C'est important de and Il est important de mean exactly the same thing here ('It is important to...'). C'est is much more common in everyday spoken French, while Il est is a bit more formal and often used in writing.

Question 3

Why is it cette émotion and not ce émotion or cet émotion?

Accepted Answer

The word émotion is feminine, so it takes the feminine word for 'this' or 'that', which is cette. You only use cet before masculine words that start with a vowel, like cet homme.

Question 4

If émotion is feminine, why isn't important feminine (importante)?

Accepted Answer

The adjective important is describing the general action of 'expressing this emotion', not the word émotion itself. In these impersonal expressions, the adjective following C'est always stays in its default masculine singular form.

C'est important d'exprimer cette émotion.

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