Breakdown of Le chef demande pourquoi ce délai est très long.
être
to be
très
very
ce
this (before a noun)
pourquoi
why
Questions & Answers about Le chef demande pourquoi ce délai est très long.
Why is there no question word order after pourquoi?
Because this is an indirect question. When you report a question using a phrase like demande pourquoi (asks why), the question word is followed by normal statement word order (Subject + Verb). That is why we see ce délai est instead of an inversion or est-ce que.
Does ce délai mean a delay, like when a flight is late?
Not exactly! It is a false friend. While it can translate to 'delay' in some contexts, un délai is usually a neutral timeframe, deadline, or allotted time. If you are talking about a negative delay (like a train being late), you would use un retard.
Why use chef instead of patron for 'boss' here?
Both can mean 'boss,' but they have a slight difference in scale. Un patron is usually the top boss or owner of a company. Un chef is more commonly a manager, supervisor, or team leader.