Learn French: Dans une chorale, il vaut mieux s'écouter les uns les autres. - In a choir, it is better to listen to one another.

Dans une chorale, il vaut mieux s'écouter les uns les autres.

In a choir, it is better to listen to one another.

Breakdown of Dans une chorale, il vaut mieux s'écouter les uns les autres.

Questions & Answers about Dans une chorale, il vaut mieux s'écouter les uns les autres.

Why use les uns les autres if s'écouter already means "to listen to each other"?

While s'écouter usually means "to listen to each other", it can also mean "to listen to oneself". Adding les uns les autres makes the reciprocity explicit, removing any doubt that the choir members are listening to one another, not just to themselves.

Why is it les uns les autres (plural) instead of l'un l'autre (singular)?

We use l'un l'autre when exactly two people are involved. Because a choir (une chorale) is made up of three or more people, we must use the plural form les uns les autres.

Why is there no preposition between les uns and les autres?

The phrase matches the verb's normal grammar. Because you listen to someone directly in French (écouter quelqu'un), there is no preposition. If the verb required one, like talking TO someone (parler à quelqu'un), the preposition would go in the middle: les uns aux autres.

Could I say c'est mieux de instead of il vaut mieux?