Breakdown of Le douanier ne laisse pas l'homme importer la marchandise et la confisque.
l'homme
the man (m)
et
and
ne
not (used before the verb)
pas
not (used after the verb)
la
her, it (feminine direct object pronoun)
laisser
to leave (something or someone)
la marchandise
the merchandise
le douanier
the customs officer
importer
to import
confisquer
to confiscate
Questions & Answers about Le douanier ne laisse pas l'homme importer la marchandise et la confisque.
How does the 'laisser' + infinitive structure work in this sentence?
The verb laisser (to let or to allow) is followed by the person being allowed (l'homme) and then the infinitive verb (importer). Just like in English, it flows as 'doesn't let the man import'. Notice that French doesn't require a preposition like à or de before the infinitive here.
What does the la before confisque mean?
It is a direct object pronoun meaning 'it', replacing la marchandise. In French, object pronouns are placed directly in front of the verb they are tied to, which is why it goes right before confisque rather than at the end of the sentence.
Who is the subject of the second verb, confisque?
Why is la marchandise singular if we are talking about goods?
In French, la marchandise is often used as a singular collective noun to mean 'merchandise' or a batch of 'goods' as a whole. While the plural les marchandises also exists, the singular is very commonly used when talking about a shipment or a general quantity of trade items.
Learn Le douanier ne laisse pas l'homme importer la marchandise et la confisque and more in French
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free