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C'est la seule émotion que vous recherchiez chez un comédien.

C'est la seule émotion que vous recherchiez chez un comédien.
It is the only emotion that you are looking for in an actor.
From Lesson 262:Subjunctive with superlatives and absolutes·French

Questions & Answers about C'est la seule émotion que vous recherchiez chez un comédien.

Why is recherchiez used here instead of the regular present tense recherchez?
Because the sentence uses the absolute expression la seule (the only). In French, superlatives (like the best) and absolutes (like the only, the first) trigger the subjunctive mood in the following relative clause. This highlights that the statement is subjective or a sweeping claim.
Wait, doesn't recherchiez look exactly like the imperfect (past) tense?
Yes, it does! For all regular -er verbs, the nous and vous forms of the present subjunctive are completely identical to their imperfect indicative forms. The context of la seule émotion que... tells us it is the present subjunctive here, not the past.
Why is chez used here to mean 'in'? Doesn't it usually mean 'at the house of'?
While chez often means 'at the home or business of', it is also used to talk about the characteristics, habits, or nature of a person. Here, chez un comédien translates to 'in an actor' or 'when it comes to an actor'.
Is comédien a false friend? Does it mean 'comedian' or 'actor'?
It is a partial false friend. While it can imply a comedic actor, un comédien is overwhelmingly used to mean 'an actor' in general, especially a stage actor. If you specifically want to talk about a stand-up comedian, you would usually say un humoriste.

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