Log inSign up

Je vais démissionner. Tout le monde l'a deviné.

Je vais démissionner. Tout le monde l'a deviné.
I am going to resign. Everyone guessed it.
From Lesson 152:The neuter object pronoun (le)·French

Questions & Answers about Je vais démissionner. Tout le monde l'a deviné.

What exactly does the l' in l'a deviné stand for?
It is the neuter object pronoun le, which drops its vowel before the verb a. Instead of replacing a specific noun, it replaces the entire previous statement: Je vais démissionner. In English, we do exactly the same thing when we say 'Everyone guessed it.'
Since l' is a direct object placed before the verb, shouldn't deviné have an agreement ending?
No. When the pronoun le replaces a whole clause or idea, it acts as a neuter pronoun and is treated as masculine singular by default. Because of this, the past participle deviné does not take an extra e or s.
Tout le monde means 'everyone'. Why is it followed by the singular verb a instead of the plural ont?
Even though tout le monde refers to multiple people in meaning, it literally translates to 'all the world.' Because monde (world) is a singular noun, it must take the singular il/elle verb form. This is a very common trap for English speakers!
Could I use the simple future and say Je démissionnerai instead of Je vais démissionner?
Yes, you could, but Je vais démissionner (the near future using aller + infinitive) sounds more natural here. French speakers prefer the near future for actions that are already firmly decided upon and feel immediate or certain.

Learn Je vais démissionner. Tout le monde l'a deviné and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →