Question 1

Souffrir is an -ir verb, so why does it end in -e here instead of -it?

Accepted Answer

Even though souffrir (to suffer) ends in -ir, it belongs to a small group of verbs that are conjugated exactly like regular -er verbs in the present tense. For elle, we drop the -ir and add -e, giving us elle souffre. Other verbs that do this include ouvrir (to open) and offrir (to offer).

Question 2

Since this lesson is about ce dont, how would I say 'That is what she suffers from' using this verb?

Accepted Answer

The verb here is souffrir de (to suffer from). Because it uses the preposition de, you must use dont to represent the thing being suffered from in a relative clause. To say 'That is what she suffers from,' you would say: C'est ce dont elle souffre.

Question 3

Why is souvent placed right after the verb souffre?

Accepted Answer

In French, short adverbs of frequency like souvent (often), toujours (always), and parfois (sometimes) are placed immediately after the conjugated verb. You cannot put them between the subject and the verb like we do in English, so you can never say Elle souvent souffre.

Question 4

Why is there no article here? Why isn't it souffre de l'angoisse?

Accepted Answer

With the construction souffrir de, French often drops the article before general uncountable conditions or illnesses. Saying d'angoisse treats anxiety as a general state rather than a specific thing. You might occasionally hear de l'angoisse, but dropping the article is very common and natural for medical or psychological conditions, just like souffrir d'asthme (to suffer from asthma).

Elle souffre souvent d'angoisse.

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