Log inSign up

La grue est en train de charger le ciment et la pierre.

La grue est en train de charger le ciment et la pierre.
The crane is loading the cement and the stone.
From Lesson 226:Progressive actions (être en train de)·French

Questions & Answers about La grue est en train de charger le ciment et la pierre.

Why do we use est en train de charger instead of just charge?
While la grue charge can mean 'the crane loads' or 'the crane is loading', using est en train de puts a strong emphasis on the action happening right at this very moment. It is the French equivalent of saying 'is in the middle of loading' or 'is currently loading'.
Why is charger in its unconjugated dictionary form?
In French, when a verb follows a preposition like de, it must be in the infinitive (unconjugated) form. The expression is always être en train de followed directly by an infinitive.
Does grue mean the construction machine or the bird?
It means both! Just like the word 'crane' in English, la grue refers to both the heavy lifting machine used in construction and the tall, long-legged bird.
Why do we need the article la before pierre if we already said le ciment?
In English, we often drop the second 'the' and say 'the cement and stone'. In French, you generally cannot skip articles in a list. You must repeat the correct definite article (le, la, or les) before every single noun.

Learn La grue est en train de charger le ciment et la pierre and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →