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J'ai un grand arbre généalogique et nous en discutons.

J'ai un grand arbre généalogique et nous en discutons.
I have a large family tree and we are discussing it.
From Lesson 235:The pronoun 'en' with verbs (en)·French

Questions & Answers about J'ai un grand arbre généalogique et nous en discutons.

Why do we use en here instead of le?
In English, we say "discuss it," which makes it feel like a direct object. But in French, the standard verb phrase is discuter de (to talk about). Because the verb requires the preposition de, we must replace the inanimate object (de l'arbre généalogique) with the pronoun en.
Could I place the pronoun after the verb and say nous discutons en?
No. In French, object pronouns like en must go immediately before the conjugated verb they belong to. That is why the correct word order is nous en discutons.
Why is grand placed before arbre, but généalogique comes after?
Most adjectives in French follow the noun, just like généalogique. However, a specific group of common, short adjectives describing Beauty, Age, Goodness, or Size (often remembered by learners as the "BAGS" rule) go before the noun. grand relates to size, so it comes first.
What does arbre généalogique literally mean?
It translates directly to "genealogical tree" and is the standard French term for a family tree. Keep in mind that arbre is a masculine noun, which is why it uses un and grand rather than the feminine forms une and grande.

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