Breakdown of Le singe intriguant la femelle est jeune.
être
to be
jeune
young
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
la
her, it (feminine direct object pronoun)
le singe
the monkey
la femelle
the female
intriguer
to intrigue
Questions & Answers about Le singe intriguant la femelle est jeune.
Why is intriguant spelled with a 'u' here instead of just intrigant?
In French, verbs ending in -guer like intriguer drop the 'u' when they become verbal adjectives (intrigant), but keep the 'u' when used as present participles (intriguant). Because the word is acting as an active verb in this sentence, it is the present participle and keeps the 'u'.
How can I tell for sure that intriguant is a present participle and not a verbal adjective in this sentence?
The biggest clue is that it takes a direct object (la femelle). Verbal adjectives act like regular adjectives to describe a noun's static state or quality, whereas present participles express an action happening in the moment and can act on objects.
Could I rephrase this sentence using qui instead of the present participle?
Yes! You can almost always replace an active present participle with a relative clause. This sentence means the exact same thing as Le singe qui intrigue la femelle est jeune.
Learn Le singe intriguant la femelle est jeune 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