Breakdown of Le policier va expulser quiconque refuse de quitter le périmètre.
aller
to go
le policier
the police officer
quitter
to leave (a place or person)
refuser
to refuse
de
to (introducing an infinitive after a verb)
quiconque
whoever
le périmètre
the perimeter
expulser
to expel (evict, deport)
Questions & Answers about Le policier va expulser quiconque refuse de quitter le périmètre.
What exactly is the role of quiconque in this sentence?
Quiconque translates to "anyone who" or "whoever". What makes it special is its double role in the sentence structure: here, it is simultaneously the direct object of the first action (va expulser) and the subject of the second verb (refuse). You could achieve the exact same meaning with the longer phrase toute personne qui.
Why is the verb refuse in the singular? What if there are multiple people refusing to leave?
Since it acts as a subject for the second verb, is it possible to say quiconque qui refuse?
No, that would be grammatically incorrect. Because quiconque translates to "anyone who", the relative pronoun part is already built into the word itself. Adding qui after it would be entirely redundant, essentially meaning "anyone who who".
Why is there a de in refuse de quitter?
The verb refuser requires the preposition de when it is followed by a verb in the infinitive (meaning to refuse to do something). It is a set structure that is highly useful to memorize: refuser de faire quelque chose.
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