Breakdown of La précision de l'horloge vient non seulement des engrenages, mais aussi du balancier.
mais
but
aussi
also / too
non
no
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
seulement
only
venir
to come
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
les
them (direct object pronoun)
l'horloge
the clock (f)
la précision
the precision
le balancier
the pendulum
l'engrenage
the gear (m)
Questions & Answers about La précision de l'horloge vient non seulement des engrenages, mais aussi du balancier.
Why do we use des and du instead of just les and le after the correlative conjunctions?
The verb here is venir de (to come from). When using non seulement... mais aussi, French requires you to repeat the preposition for both elements. Therefore, you must combine de with the definite articles for both parts: de + les engrenages becomes des engrenages, and de + le balancier becomes du balancier.
Can I place non seulement before the verb, similar to the English 'not only comes from'?
No, you shouldn't place it before the conjugated verb here. In French, non seulement generally follows the conjugated verb (like vient) when it highlights the prepositional phrases that come directly after it.
Is it possible to drop the aussi and just say mais du balancier?
Learn La précision de l'horloge vient non seulement des engrenages, mais aussi du balancier and more in French
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free