Breakdown of Le routard est ravi de planifier son voyage.
être
to be
son
his/her/its (son, sa, ses)
le voyage
the trip
de
to (introducing an infinitive after a verb)
Questions & Answers about Le routard est ravi de planifier son voyage.
Why do we use de planifier here instead of a que clause with the subjunctive?
The adjective ravi (delighted) expresses an emotion, which usually triggers the subjunctive. For example, if the backpacker were delighted about someone else's action, you would say Il est ravi que tu viennes (He is delighted that you are coming). However, because the backpacker is both the one who is delighted and the one doing the planning, French avoids the subjunctive. When the subject is the same for both actions, we use de plus the infinitive verb.
Why is the preposition de required before planifier?
In French, when an adjective expresses an emotion or a state of mind (like ravi, content, triste, or heureux) and is followed by an infinitive, you must connect them with the preposition de. You cannot put the infinitive directly after the adjective.
If the backpacker were a woman, would son voyage change to sa voyage?
No, it would still be son voyage. In French, possessive adjectives agree with the noun being owned, not the owner. Since un voyage is a masculine noun, it always takes son, regardless of whether it means his trip or her trip. However, the first half of the sentence would change to match the feminine subject: La routarde est ravie.
Could I use the verb prévoir instead of planifier here?