Breakdown of Il faut dormir après une journée épuisante.
une
a / an (feminine)
dormir
to sleep
il
it (impersonal subject)
falloir
to be necessary / must (impersonal)
la journée
the day
après
after
épuisant
exhausting
Questions & Answers about Il faut dormir après une journée épuisante.
Why does épuisante end in an -e here?
Because it is a present participle being used as a verbal adjective. When an -ant word acts as an adjective, it has to agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Since it describes the feminine singular noun une journée, we add an -e to make it épuisante.
What verb does épuisante come from?
It comes from the verb épuiser, which means to exhaust or to wear out. The base present participle is épuisant (exhausting).
Why use journée instead of jour for "day"?
The English translation says "You have to", but doesn't il faut mean "It is necessary"?
Literally, yes, il faut means "it is necessary". However, in everyday French, it is the standard way to express a general obligation like "you have to", "people have to", or "one must". Because it is followed by the infinitive dormir (to sleep) without specifying a person, it functions as a general rule that applies to anyone.
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