Breakdown of Il est important que tu améliores ta respiration pour protéger tes articulations.
être
to be
tu
you (informal singular)
pour
for
important
important
ton
your (ton, ta, tes)
il
it (impersonal subject)
améliorer
to improve
que
that (introducing a clause)
protéger
to protect
l'articulation
the joint (f)
la respiration
the breathing
Questions & Answers about Il est important que tu améliores ta respiration pour protéger tes articulations.
Why is the verb améliores in the subjunctive here?
The phrase Il est important que (It is important that) is an impersonal expression that shows necessity or a judgment. Expressions like this always trigger the subjunctive for the verb in the following clause.
Since améliores looks exactly like the normal present tense, how do we know it is the subjunctive?
For regular -er verbs like améliorer, the present indicative (normal present tense) and present subjunctive look identical for the je, tu, il, and ils forms. We know it is the subjunctive here solely because of the trigger phrase Il est important que. To form it, we took the ils present stem (amélior-) and added the tu subjunctive ending (-es).
Why is protéger in the infinitive rather than conjugated in the subjunctive too?
We use the infinitive (protéger) because it immediately follows the preposition pour. In French, pour plus an infinitive means in order to do something. Since there is no que after pour, there is no reason to use the subjunctive again.
Does articulations mean the same thing in French as it does in English?
It can refer to speech, but in anatomical contexts, les articulations translates to physical joints, like knees or elbows. This sentence is likely about sports or exercise, where improving your breathing helps protect your joints.
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