Log inSign up

Nous avons vu ces coquillages dans les algues et les flaques.

Nous avons vu ces coquillages dans les algues et les flaques.
We saw these seashells in the seaweed and the puddles.
From Lesson 277:Agreement of the adverb tout (toute, toutes)·French

Questions & Answers about Nous avons vu ces coquillages dans les algues et les flaques.

English says "the seaweed" (singular), but the French uses the plural les algues. Why?
In English, "seaweed" is usually an uncountable noun. In French, une algue is countable and refers to a single piece, strand, or species of seaweed. To talk about seaweed in general or a cluster of it on the beach, French uses the plural les algues.
Can I use coquillages for any kind of shell?
Un coquillage specifically means a marine shell or seashell. If you want to talk about an eggshell, a nutshell, or a snail shell, you need to use a different word: une coquille.
Why doesn't the past participle vu have an "s" to agree with the plural ces coquillages?
When forming the passé composé with the auxiliary verb avoir, the past participle only adds gender and number agreement if the direct object comes before the verb. Because the direct object (ces coquillages) comes after avons vu, the participle does not change.
What is the singular form of ces if I just want to say "this seashell"?
Ces is the plural demonstrative adjective (these/those) for all nouns. Because coquillage is a masculine word, the singular form "this seashell" is ce coquillage. (As a quick reminder, the other singular forms are cette for feminine nouns and cet for masculine nouns starting with a vowel sound).

Learn Nous avons vu ces coquillages dans les algues et les flaques 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
Start learning French →