Learn French: Les participants se regardent les uns les autres pour garder le rythme. - The participants look at one another to keep the rhythm.

Les participants se regardent les uns les autres pour garder le rythme.

The participants look at one another to keep the rhythm.

Breakdown of Les participants se regardent les uns les autres pour garder le rythme.

Questions & Answers about Les participants se regardent les uns les autres pour garder le rythme.

Why do we need les uns les autres if se regardent already means "look at each other"?

The pronoun se in se regardent can mean either "themselves" or "each other". Adding les uns les autres removes any ambiguity and adds emphasis, making it perfectly clear that they are looking at one another, rather than each person looking at themselves in a mirror.

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

You use the plural les uns les autres when referring to more than two people, or a general group like les participants. If we knew there were exactly two participants, we would use the singular form: l'un l'autre.

Why isn't there a preposition like à in front of les uns les autres?

Because the verb regarder (to look at) takes a direct object in French. You say regarder quelqu'un (to look at someone), without a preposition. When the verb takes a direct object, les uns les autres is also attached directly without a preposition.

Why does the sentence use the infinitive garder instead of a conjugated verb?

In French, when you want to express purpose or say "in order to" do something, you use the preposition pour followed directly by an infinitive verb. Here, pour garder translates to "in order to keep" or simply "to keep".