Learn French: Comme le gouvernement refuse, la manifestation continuera demain. - Since the government refuses, the protest will continue tomorrow.

Comme le gouvernement refuse, la manifestation continuera demain.

Since the government refuses, the protest will continue tomorrow.

Breakdown of Comme le gouvernement refuse, la manifestation continuera demain.

since / as (giving a reason)

Questions & Answers about Comme le gouvernement refuse, la manifestation continuera demain.

Why isn't refuse in the future tense? Doesn't the rule for this lesson say we use the future tense twice?

That rule applies specifically to time-related words like quand (when) or dès que (as soon as). Here, comme expresses a cause (because/since), not a timeframe. The government's refusal is happening right now, so we just use the present tense refuse, even though the main action (continuera) happens in the future.

I thought comme meant "like" or "as". How does it mean "since" here?

You're right that comme very often means "like". However, when placed at the very beginning of a sentence, comme is the standard way to say "since" or "because" to set up a reason. If you wanted to put the reason in the second half of the sentence instead, you would typically use parce que.

Is la manifestation the most common word for "protest" in French?

Yes, but in everyday spoken French, you will hear it shortened to la manif all the time. You might also hear about la grève, which is specifically a "strike" (when people refuse to work). Both are very useful words to know if you are reading French news!

Just as a refresher, how do we form the future tense for continuera?