Question 1

How does admirant replace a relative clause in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Instead of using the relative pronoun qui and a conjugated verb, like le passant qui admire (the passerby who is admiring), you can use the present participle admirant. This works exactly like the "-ing" form in English and makes the sentence feel a bit more formal and concise.

Question 2

Why doesn't admirant need to agree with le passant?

Accepted Answer

When a present participle ending in -ant is used to replace a verb in a relative clause, it is invariable. That means it never adds an -e or an -s. Even if the sentence were about multiple people (les passants), the word would still be admirant. It only agrees with the noun if it is being used purely as a descriptive adjective.

Question 3

Wait, isn't passant also a present participle?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Passant is the present participle of the verb passer (to pass). However, in this sentence, it is being used as a noun (le passant) to mean "the passerby". French frequently turns present participles into nouns for people doing an action, similar to words like "assistant" or "participant" in English.

Question 4

Why does this sentence use vitrine instead of fenêtre?

Accepted Answer

While une fenêtre is a standard window you would find in a house or office, une vitrine specifically refers to a shop window or a display case. Since the passerby is "admiring" it from the street, they are looking at a store's window display.

Je regarde le passant admirant cette vitrine.

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