Learn French: L'horloger répare non seulement les horloges, mais aussi les montres. - The watchmaker repairs not only clocks, but also watches.

L'horloger répare non seulement les horloges, mais aussi les montres.

The watchmaker repairs not only clocks, but also watches.

Breakdown of L'horloger répare non seulement les horloges, mais aussi les montres.

Questions & Answers about L'horloger répare non seulement les horloges, mais aussi les montres.

In English, using "not only" can sometimes change the word order (e.g., "Not only does he repair..."). Does French do this with non seulement?

No, French keeps the standard word order. You simply place non seulement right before the first item you are emphasizing (here, les horloges) and mais aussi before the second item (les montres). You don't need to invert the subject and verb or add an extra helper verb like the English "does".

Why do we need les before horloges and montres when the English translation just says "clocks" and "watches"?

In French, nouns generally cannot stand alone without an article. When referring to nouns in a general or categorical sense, you must use the definite article (le, la, or les). Additionally, when using a paired structure like non seulement... mais aussi, you must repeat the article before every noun in the list.

What is the exact difference between une horloge and une montre?

Une horloge refers to a clock—typically a larger timepiece that hangs on a wall or stands in a room. Une montre refers specifically to a watch, such as a wristwatch or a pocket watch. Even though the profession horloger shares a root with horloge, an horloger works on both.

Could I put non seulement at the very beginning of the sentence instead?