Question 1

How does quitte à work in this sentence, and who is doing the waiting?

Accepted Answer

Quitte à is followed by an infinitive (here, patienter) and translates to "even if it means" or "at the risk of." It shows a willingness to accept a negative consequence to achieve a goal. Crucially, the unspoken subject of the infinitive must match the subject of the main clause. Since il (he) is the one hoping for the discount, he is also the one doing the waiting.

Question 2

Why use patienter instead of attendre?

Accepted Answer

While both mean "to wait," patienter specifically means "to wait patiently" or "to endure a wait." Using it here emphasizes the effort and endurance required, which makes the sacrifice introduced by quitte à feel more significant.

Question 3

Why is there no French equivalent for "for" after espère?

Accepted Answer

In French, the verb espérer is a direct transitive verb, meaning it connects directly to its object without a preposition. English speakers often feel tempted to insert pour because of the English translation "hopes for," but in French, you simply say espérer un bon rabais.

Question 4

Could we drop the word pendant and just say patienter des heures?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can often omit pendant when expressing duration, and patienter des heures is perfectly correct. However, keeping pendant adds a slight emphasis to the length of time itself, highlighting the extent of the inconvenience he is willing to accept.

Quitte à patienter pendant des heures, il espère un bon rabais.

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