Learn French: Cette croyance se trouve dans le monde entier. - This belief is found all over the world.

Cette croyance se trouve dans le monde entier.

This belief is found all over the world.

Breakdown of Cette croyance se trouve dans le monde entier.

Questions & Answers about Cette croyance se trouve dans le monde entier.

Why does the sentence use se trouve instead of the literal passive est trouvée?

This is the pronominal passive. While est trouvée is grammatically correct, French often prefers using a reflexive verb (like se trouver) with inanimate subjects (like cette croyance) to express that something 'is done' or 'happens'. It translates smoothly into English as 'is found'.

Is croyance feminine? How can we tell from the sentence?

Yes, croyance (belief) is feminine. You can tell because it is introduced by the feminine demonstrative adjective cette (this). If the noun were masculine, you would see ce (or cet before a vowel sound).

Why does the adjective entier come after monde?

Entier means 'entire' or 'whole'. In French, most adjectives are placed after the noun they modify. Only a specific group of common, usually short adjectives (like grand or petit) go before the noun.

Why use dans (in) when the English translation says 'all over'?

French uses the set phrase dans le monde entier (literally 'in the whole world') to mean 'all over the world' or 'worldwide'. Translating 'over' literally with a preposition like sur (on) would sound unnatural in French here.