Un homme sédentaire s'entraîne moins qu'un athlète.

Questions & Answers about Un homme sédentaire s'entraîne moins qu'un athlète.

Why is moins placed directly after the verb s'entraîne?
When comparing verbs, the comparative words plus, moins, and autant are placed immediately after the conjugated verb. Here, it tells us the frequency or intensity of his training is less.
Why do we use moins qu'un instead of moins d'un here?
We use moins que (which becomes moins qu' before a vowel) because we are comparing an action: how much the two men train. You would only use moins de if you were comparing quantities of a noun, such as having less time or fewer friends.
Why is it s'entraîne with the reflexive pronoun s', rather than just entraîne?
The verb s'entraîner must be reflexive when it means to practice or work out oneself. If you used the active verb entraîne, it would mean he is training someone else, like a coach training a team.
Why does the adjective sédentaire come after homme?
Most descriptive adjectives in French, especially those categorizing a type of person or describing a lifestyle like sédentaire, come directly after the noun they modify.

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