Question 1

Since this lesson is about ne... aucun, how would I say 'We are not going to follow any trail' based on this sentence?

Accepted Answer

You would say Nous n'allons suivre aucun sentier. When you have a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive (like allons suivre), the ne goes before the conjugated verb, and aucun acts like an adjective, sitting directly in front of the noun it modifies. Since sentier is masculine, you use the masculine form aucun instead of aucune.

Question 2

The verb here is suivre. Isn't its 'je' form identical to the verb être (to be)?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is! The verb suivre (to follow) is irregular. In the present tense, 'I follow' is je suis, which looks exactly like je suis (I am). You have to rely on context to tell them apart. Here, we don't have to worry about that because we are using the infinitive suivre right after the conjugated verb allons to form the near future tense.

Question 3

Could I use chemin instead of sentier to say 'trail'?

Accepted Answer

You could, but it changes the nuance slightly. Un sentier specifically refers to a narrow trail or footpath, usually in nature like a hiking or walking trail. Un chemin is a broader term for a path, track, or way, which might be wider or even paved.

Question 4

Just as a refresher, why do we use ce for 'this' instead of cet?

Accepted Answer

Ce is the standard masculine singular word for 'this' or 'that'. You only switch to cet when a masculine noun starts with a vowel or a mute H, to make pronunciation smoother (for example, cet arbre for 'this tree'). Since sentier is masculine and starts with a consonant, it just takes ce.

Nous allons suivre ce sentier.

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