Learn French: Le collègue dont la connexion est stable est très productif. - The colleague whose connection is stable is very productive.

Le collègue dont la connexion est stable est très productif.

The colleague whose connection is stable is very productive.

Breakdown of Le collègue dont la connexion est stable est très productif.

whose / about which / of which

Questions & Answers about Le collègue dont la connexion est stable est très productif.

Why is there a la after dont? Doesn't dont mean "whose"?

Yes, dont means "whose" here, but in French, the noun that belongs to it must still keep its definite article (le, la, or les). While in English we drop the article and just say "whose connection," in French you must include it, translating literally as "of whom the connection" (dont la connexion).

Is connexion really spelled with an "x"?

Yes! This is a classic spelling trap for English speakers. While English uses "connection" with a "ct", the French equivalent is spelled connexion with an "x".

How do we know if collègue refers to a man or a woman here?

The noun collègue has the exact same spelling for both men and women. We know this specific colleague is male because of the masculine article le at the beginning and the masculine adjective productif at the end. If it were a woman, it would be La collègue... productive.

What is the rule for the word order right after dont?

After dont, you must use standard subject-verb word order. You cannot invert the subject and verb. Here, that means putting the subject (la connexion) immediately before the verb (est).