Question 1

Why is there a la before société when in English we just say 'society'?

Accepted Answer

In French, general concepts and abstract nouns require a definite article (le, la, or les). Since we are talking about society as a general concept here, we must include la.

Question 2

Why does souvent come after juge instead of before it like in English ('often judges')?

Accepted Answer

In French, short adverbs of frequency like souvent (often) typically follow the conjugated verb. Unlike in English, you cannot put an adverb between the subject (Le philosophe) and the verb (juge).

Question 3

If I wanted to add 'for himself' to this sentence, could I use the pronoun soi?

Accepted Answer

No, you would use pour lui (or pour lui-même). The indefinite stressed pronoun soi is only used when the subject is indefinite, such as on, chacun, or personne. Because Le philosophe is a specific, defined noun, you must use the standard stressed pronoun lui.

Question 4

Is philosophe spelled the same way for both male and female philosophers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Because the noun philosophe already ends in an -e, the spelling stays the same. You only change the article to indicate gender: le philosophe for a man, and la philosophe for a woman.

Le philosophe juge souvent la société.

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