Breakdown of Ces francs sont absolument usés et inutiles !
être
to be
et
and
ce
this (before a noun)
absolument
absolutely
usé
worn out
inutile
useless
le franc
the franc
Questions & Answers about Ces francs sont absolument usés et inutiles !
Why do we use usés here instead of fatigués?
In French, usé is strictly used for inanimate objects that are physically worn out or deteriorated from use, like these coins or an old pair of shoes. For a tired or exhausted person, you would use fatigué or épuisé.
Does inutiles just mean they aren't being used right now?
No, inutile translates to useless or pointless, meaning they have no value or function anymore. If you meant that the coins were still valid but simply not being used at the moment, you would use inutilisés (unused).
Could I say très inutiles instead of absolument inutiles?
When listening, how do I know this is ces (these) and not ses (his/her)?
You have to rely entirely on context, because the demonstrative adjective ces and the possessive adjective ses are pronounced exactly the same way. In a real-life situation, the speaker would likely be pointing at or holding the coins, making ces the logical choice.
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