Learn French: Le juge condamne sévèrement quiconque enfreint cette loi. - The judge severely condemns whoever breaks this law.

Le juge condamne sévèrement quiconque enfreint cette loi.

The judge severely condemns whoever breaks this law.

Breakdown of Le juge condamne sévèrement quiconque enfreint cette loi.

Questions & Answers about Le juge condamne sévèrement quiconque enfreint cette loi.

In this sentence, is quiconque the object of the judge's condemnation or the subject of the breaking?

It does both jobs! Quiconque (whoever / anyone who) merges two roles: it is the direct object of condamne and the subject of enfreint. Because it acts as the subject for the second half of the sentence, the verb immediately following quiconque is always conjugated in the third-person singular.

What is the infinitive of enfreint and how does its conjugation work?

The infinitive is enfreindre (to break, to infringe). It is an irregular verb ending in -eindre (like peindre or atteindre). In the present tense singular, it drops the 'd' (il enfreint). In the plural, the 'nd' changes to 'gn' (e.g., nous enfreignons, ils enfreignent).

Could I use 'celui qui' instead of quiconque here?

Yes, you could say Le juge condamne celui qui enfreint cette loi (The judge condemns the one who breaks this law). However, quiconque is more efficient because it means 'anyone who' all in one word. It also carries a slightly more formal, absolute tone that fits perfectly in a legal context like this one.

Is the 'm' pronounced in condamne?