Word
L'agent regarde l'écran du scanner et laisse le passager récupérer son sac.
Meaning
The agent looks at the scanner screen and lets the passenger retrieve his bag.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of L'agent regarde l'écran du scanner et laisse le passager récupérer son sac.
et
and
le sac
the bag
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
regarder
to watch
Questions & Answers about L'agent regarde l'écran du scanner et laisse le passager récupérer son sac.
How does the sentence structure work for "lets the passenger retrieve"?
To express "letting" someone do something, French uses the verb laisser followed directly by the person (le passager), and then the infinitive of the action verb (récupérer). You do not need a preposition like à or de between them.
If we replaced "the passenger" with "him" ("lets him retrieve his bag"), how would the sentence change?
You would use the direct object pronoun le and place it right before the verb laisser. The phrase would become et le laisse récupérer son sac. With the laisser + infinitive structure, the person being allowed to do the action is treated as a direct object.
Why does the sentence use récupérer instead of a simpler verb like prendre (to take)?
Why is it l'écran du scanner and not l'écran de scanner?