Question 1

In English, a tribunal is usually a specific type of board. Is 'le tribunal' the normal word for 'the court' in French?

Accepted Answer

Yes! While tribunal sounds specialized in English, le tribunal is the standard, everyday French word for a lower court of law where trials take place. You might also see la cour, but that is generally reserved for higher appeal courts (like la cour d'appel).

Question 2

The English translation says 'listens to', but there is no French word for 'to' in this sentence. Why is that?

Accepted Answer

In French, the verb écouter directly takes an object without needing a preposition. You simply 'listen someone' (écouter quelqu'un). This is an earlier-level concept, but it is a very common trap for English speakers, so it is always good to double-check that you aren't adding an à after écouter.

Question 3

This lesson teaches phrases like 'en admettant que'. If I put this sentence after one of those phrases, does the verb 'écoute' change?

Accepted Answer

Phrases like en admettant que and à supposer que require the subjunctive mood, meaning you must use the subjunctive form of écouter. However, for regular '-er' verbs, the third-person singular in the subjunctive is spelled exactly the same as in the present indicative: écoute. So the spelling stays identical: en admettant que le tribunal écoute l'accusé... (Assuming that the court listens to the accused...).

Question 4

Is 'l'accusé' a noun or an adjective in this context?

Accepted Answer

It functions as a noun here ('the accused'), but it is formed from the past participle of the verb accuser (to accuse). French frequently turns past participles into nouns to describe a person who has received an action. If the accused person were female, it would be spelled l'accusée, though the pronunciation remains identical.

Le tribunal écoute l'accusé.

Breakdown of Le tribunal écoute l'accusé.

Questions & Answers about Le tribunal écoute l'accusé.

Learn Le tribunal écoute l'accusé and more in French