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Connaissez-vous la fille dont le frère est égoïste ?

Connaissez-vous la fille dont le frère est égoïste ?
Do you know the girl whose brother is selfish?
From Lesson 164:Possessive relative pronouns (dont)·French

Questions & Answers about Connaissez-vous la fille dont le frère est égoïste ?

Why do we say "dont le frère" instead of just "dont frère"?
In English, we say "whose brother", dropping the word "the". But in French, dont behaves more like "of whom". So, la fille dont le frère literally translates to "the girl of whom the brother". When using dont for possession, you must always keep the definite article (le, la, l', or les) in front of the noun that is owned.
How exactly does "dont" replace "whose" in this sentence?
The relative pronoun dont replaces phrases that naturally start with the preposition de (of). If you were to say "the brother of the girl" as a standalone fact, you would say le frère de la fille. Because dont absorbs that de, it creates a smooth bridge between the two nouns, acting exactly like "whose" in English.
Could I use "savez-vous" instead of "connaissez-vous" here?
No, because connaître and savoir (which both mean "to know") have strict rules. You must use connaître when talking about knowing or being familiar with a person, place, or thing (like la fille). Savoir is reserved for knowing facts, pieces of information, or knowing how to do something.
Is "égoïste" the standard word for "selfish"?
Yes! Even though it looks a lot like the English word "egotistical" or "egoist", égoïste is the standard, everyday French adjective used to describe someone who is selfish.

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