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Puisque tu hésites, nous n'achetons pas ce bibelot.

Puisque tu hésites, nous n'achetons pas ce bibelot.
Since you are hesitating, we are not buying this trinket.
From Lesson 200:Stating evident reasons (puisque)·French

Questions & Answers about Puisque tu hésites, nous n'achetons pas ce bibelot.

Why is puisque used here instead of parce que?
Puisque (since / seeing as) is used when the reason is already obvious or known to the person you are talking to. In this sentence, the fact that the person is hesitating is already obvious to both people. If you wanted to give a brand-new reason they didn't know about, you would use parce que (because).
Can I put puisque in the middle of the sentence?
Yes! You can absolutely say Nous n'achetons pas ce bibelot puisque tu hésites. Putting puisque at the beginning of the sentence simply highlights the known fact first, setting the stage for the decision that follows.
Does puisque drop its final 'e' before a vowel, the way que does?
Yes, it does. If the next word started with a vowel, like il or elle, it would become puisqu'il or puisqu'elle. Here, because tu starts with a consonant, the 'e' stays. Keep in mind that in standard French, the 'u' in tu is never dropped before a vowel, which is why it is tu hésites and not t'hésites.
Why does the French sentence use the simple present (tu hésites) when the English uses the continuous '-ing' form (you are hesitating)?
French does not have a separate continuous tense like English does. The standard French present tense (le présent) covers both general facts (you hesitate) and actions happening right now (you are hesitating). The same applies to nous n'achetons pas (we are not buying).
What exactly is a bibelot?
A bibelot is a knick-knack, trinket, or small decorative object you might put on a shelf. It usually implies something small and purely for display, often found in souvenir shops or antique stores.

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