Question 1

What exactly does d'ailleurs add to this sentence?

Accepted Answer

D'ailleurs adds an extra, often supportive or concluding piece of information. It translates well to "moreover," "besides," or "by the way." In this sentence, it signals that the speaker is bringing up a related positive point to back up whatever they were just talking about.

Question 2

I know ailleurs means "elsewhere". Does d'ailleurs literally mean "from elsewhere"?

Accepted Answer

Yes, literally it translates to "from elsewhere." Over time, this phrase evolved into a transition word. Think of it as pulling a supporting thought "from elsewhere" to add to your current argument.

Question 3

Why do we use qui in avec qui instead of que?

Accepted Answer

When you have a preposition like avec, pour, or à that refers to a person, you must use qui (whom). You only use que as a direct object when there is no preposition involved.

Question 4

Could I say avec lesquels instead of avec qui here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you absolutely could! Avec lesquels is grammatically correct and means the exact same thing. However, when referring to people, avec qui is much more common and sounds more natural in everyday speech.

Question 5

How do we know if these colleagues are male or female?

Accepted Answer

The noun collègue ends in an "e" and is used for both men and women. However, because the adjective describing them is productifs (the masculine plural form, rather than the feminine productives), we know this is either a mixed-gender group or an all-male group of colleagues.

D'ailleurs, les collègues avec qui je collabore sont productifs.

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