ELONIO
Log inSign up

Vous voyez le videur refouler des clients ?

Vous voyez le videur refouler des clients ?
Do you see the bouncer turning away clients?
From Lesson 318:Whoever (qui que)·French

Questions & Answers about Vous voyez le videur refouler des clients ?

Why is refouler in the infinitive here, rather than a present participle matching the English 'turning away'?
French verbs of perception, like voir (to see), entendre (to hear), and sentir (to feel), are followed directly by an infinitive. Where English says 'I see him doing something,' French structure dictates 'I see him to do something.'
Does le videur literally translate to 'the emptier'?
Yes, it comes from the verb vider (to empty). In French, a bouncer is colloquially thought of as the person who 'empties' the club of unruly people!
Could I just use refuser instead of refouler?
You could say refuser l'entrée à des clients (refuse entry to clients), but refouler is the exact, natural verb for turning people away at a door, border, or checkpoint. It literally means to drive back or repel.
Why isn't there an est-ce que or subject-verb inversion to make this a question?
In everyday spoken French, it is extremely common to ask questions using standard affirmative word order simply by raising your pitch at the end of the sentence. While Est-ce que vous voyez is perfectly fine, this casual structure is what you will hear most often in real life.

Learn Vous voyez le videur refouler des clients 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
Start learning French →