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C'est le meilleur comédien que nous ayons à ce casting !

C'est le meilleur comédien que nous ayons à ce casting !
He is the best actor that we have at this casting call!
From Lesson 259:Subjunctive with superlatives and absolutes·French

Questions & Answers about C'est le meilleur comédien que nous ayons à ce casting !

Why is the verb avoir in the subjunctive (ayons) instead of the present indicative (avons)?
This is the core rule of your current lesson! The subjunctive is triggered by the superlative phrase le meilleur (the best). When you use strong, absolute phrases like the best, the worst, or the only, French uses the subjunctive to show that this is a subjective opinion or a truth based entirely on your personal experience.
Is it ever grammatically correct to use avons instead of ayons here?
Yes, sometimes native speakers use the indicative (avons) if they want to frame the statement as a cold, undeniable fact rather than a subjective opinion. However, at your current level, it is highly recommended to stick to using the subjunctive after superlatives like le meilleur, le pire, or le plus.
Why does the sentence use C'est for "He is" instead of Il est?
Because the noun is modified! When you identify someone using a noun that has an article or an adjective attached to it (like le meilleur comédien), you must use c'est. You only use il est when it is followed by a completely unmodified profession or an adjective, such as Il est comédien.
Is a comédien strictly someone who acts in comedies?
Not necessarily. Comédien is a bit of a false friend. While it can mean comedian, it is very commonly used in French to refer to any actor, regardless of the genre they are performing. If you specifically mean a stand-up comedian, you would usually say un humoriste.
Why do we say à ce casting instead of dans ce casting?
We use the preposition à because a casting (an audition) is considered an event or a gathering. In French, you generally use à to say you are "at" an event or happening, whereas dans is used when you are physically inside a three-dimensional space, like a room or a building.

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