Question 1

Why do we use Il est tard instead of C'est tard?

Accepted Answer

When talking about the general time of day, French always uses the impersonal il est (it is). You will also see this in phrases like il est 8 heures or il est tôt (it is early). Using c'est tard is usually only correct if you are pointing out that a specific event or action is late, rather than the general time itself.

Question 2

This lesson is about alors and donc (so/therefore). How would they fit into this sentence?

Accepted Answer

You could easily add one to emphasize the consequence: Il est tard, donc de toute façon le magasin est fermé (It is late, therefore in any case...). Even without a connector like donc or alors, placing these two facts next to each other implies the consequence naturally.

Question 3

What does de toute façon mean literally?

Accepted Answer

It literally translates to "of all way" or "of all fashion." In everyday French, it is the most common phrase used for "anyway," "anyhow," or "in any case." You might also see it written in the plural as de toutes façons, which means the exact same thing and is pronounced identically.

Question 4

Why doesn't fermé have an extra -e at the end?

Accepted Answer

Here, fermé (closed) acts as an adjective describing le magasin (the shop). Because le magasin is a masculine word, the adjective stays in its default masculine singular form. If we were talking about a feminine noun like la banque (the bank), it would be spelled fermée.

Il est tard, de toute façon le magasin est fermé.

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