Breakdown of L'appartement parfait est introuvable, pourtant j'espère le trouver.
je
I
être
to be
parfait
perfect
l'appartement
the apartment (m)
trouver
to find
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
espérer
to hope
pourtant
yet, however
introuvable
impossible to find
Questions & Answers about L'appartement parfait est introuvable, pourtant j'espère le trouver.
Since we are looking for an uncertain thing (the perfect apartment), why is there no subjunctive here?
This sentence avoids the subjunctive by using an infinitive! Because the person hoping and the person finding are the same (je), we use the infinitive trouver instead of a que clause. Also, remember that even if we used a clause like j'espère que je le trouverai, the verb espérer always takes the indicative, not the subjunctive, despite expressing a desire.
How would we rewrite this to use the subjunctive relative clause structure we are currently learning?
You would need a relative clause describing the sought-after thing. For example: Je cherche un appartement qui soit parfait. Because you do not know if this perfect apartment actually exists, the relative pronoun qui is followed by the subjunctive soit. In contrast, our current sentence just states a general fact using the indicative (est introuvable).
What exactly does introuvable mean and how is it formed?
It means impossible to find. It is formed by adding the negative prefix in- and the suffix -able (capable of being) to the verb root of trouver. You will see this handy pattern often in French, like with inoubliable (unforgettable) or incroyable (unbelievable).
Why is le placed right before trouver instead of before espère?
In French, object pronouns go directly before the verb they logically belong to. You are not hoping the apartment, you are hoping to find the apartment. Therefore, the direct object pronoun le goes right in front of the infinitive trouver.
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