Question 1

Why is the verb prendre in the infinitive here?

Accepted Answer

The phrase au lieu de (instead of) is always followed by an infinitive verb when the subject of both actions is the same. While English uses the "-ing" form ("instead of taking"), French uses the infinitive prendre directly after the preposition de.

Question 2

Why do we say faisons du covoiturage instead of just having a verb for "carpool"?

Accepted Answer

In French, "carpooling" is usually expressed as a noun: le covoiturage. To say that you carpool, you use the structure faire de + noun, which literally means "to do some carpooling". Because covoiturage is masculine, de + le combines into du.

Question 3

Could I use au lieu que instead of au lieu de in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Not here! You must use au lieu de + infinitive because the same subject (nous) applies to both actions (we carpool, we don't take the car). You would only use au lieu que (which requires the subjunctive) if a different person was doing the second action, like "We carpool instead of him taking the car."

Question 4

Why use prendre la voiture instead of the verb conduire (to drive)?

Accepted Answer

While conduire means "to drive," French speakers typically use prendre la voiture (literally "to take the car") when talking about choosing the car as a means of transportation for a trip. Conduire focuses more on the physical act or skill of operating the vehicle.

Nous faisons du covoiturage au lieu de prendre la voiture.

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