Question 1

How does the pair certes... mais change the tone compared to just using mais?

Accepted Answer

Using certes acknowledges a valid flaw (the scratches) before overriding it with a stronger positive point (cutting quickly). It translates well to "admittedly... but" or "sure... but" and makes your argument sound more balanced and objective than just saying La lame laisse des rayures, mais...

Question 2

Could I put certes at the very beginning of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can say Certes, la lame laisse des rayures, mais... Placing it at the beginning adds a slightly more formal, literary feel. Placing it immediately after the conjugated verb (laisse) is the standard position for adverbs in French and sounds very natural in everyday conversation.

Question 3

Does certes always mean "admittedly"?

Accepted Answer

Not always. By itself, certes means "certainly", "indeed", or "of course". However, when it is paired with mais (but) or cependant (however), it acts specifically as a concession, shifting the meaning to "admittedly", "granted", or "to be sure".

Question 4

As a quick refresher, why do we use vite here instead of rapide or rapidement?

Accepted Answer

Rapide is an adjective ("fast"), so it only describes nouns (like une lame rapide). Because we are describing the verb couper (how it cuts), we need an adverb. Both vite and rapidement work perfectly as adverbs here, but vite is shorter and much more common in everyday spoken French.

La lame laisse certes des rayures, mais elle coupe vite.

Breakdown of La lame laisse certes des rayures, mais elle coupe vite.

Questions & Answers about La lame laisse certes des rayures, mais elle coupe vite.

Learn La lame laisse certes des rayures, mais elle coupe vite and more in French