Breakdown of Le rituel se prépare avant minuit.
préparer
to prepare
minuit
midnight
se
himself, herself, themselves (reflexive)
avant
before
Questions & Answers about Le rituel se prépare avant minuit.
Why does this sentence use se prépare instead of est préparé?
While est préparé (is prepared) is grammatically correct, French usually prefers using a reflexive verb (a verb with se) when the subject is an inanimate object like le rituel. This is called the pronominal passive. It sounds much more natural to French ears when describing how things are generally done or made.
Doesn't se prépare literally mean the ritual is preparing itself?
Literally, yes! But because a ritual is an inanimate object that can't actually act on its own, a French speaker automatically interprets this as a passive action (is prepared). You will see this structure everywhere in French for things that undergo an action, such as le vin se boit (the wine is drunk).
Could I use devant instead of avant here, since both can mean 'before'?
Why isn't there an article before minuit, like avant le minuit?