Si tu regardes bien, tu distingueras leurs traits.

Questions & Answers about Si tu regardes bien, tu distingueras leurs traits.

Why is bien translated as "closely" here instead of "well"?
While bien usually translates to "well," it takes on a slightly different nuance with verbs of perception like regarder (to look) or écouter (to listen). In these cases, it means to do the action attentively or carefully. Therefore, regarder bien translates naturally to "to look closely."
Why is regardes in the present tense when the outcome (distingueras) is in the future tense?
This sentence uses a classic "if/then" structure for conditional events. In French, when an action is a likely future possibility, the si (if) clause must use the present tense (tu regardes), while the result clause uses the future tense (tu distingueras). Notice that English does the exact same thing: "If you look (present), you will distinguish (future)."
Why does leurs have an -s at the end?
Here, leurs is a possessive adjective meaning "their." It must agree in number with the noun it describes. Since traits (features) is plural, leur becomes leurs. This is different from the indirect object pronoun leur (meaning "to them" before a verb), which never takes an -s.
What does traits mean in this context?
The noun un trait can mean a drawn line, a stroke, or a personality trait. However, when observing a person or an animal, les traits specifically refers to their physical facial features.

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