Breakdown of Le banquier explique que l'apport n'est pas suffisant.
être
to be
ne
not (used before the verb)
pas
not (used after the verb)
expliquer
to explain
que
that (introducing a clause)
le banquier
the banker
l'apport (m)
the down payment (m)
suffisant
sufficient
Questions & Answers about Le banquier explique que l'apport n'est pas suffisant.
What exactly does l'apport mean when talking to a banker?
In banking and real estate, l'apport (short for l'apport personnel) is the "down payment" or "deposit." It refers to the lump sum of your own money that you contribute to a purchase before the bank loans you the rest.
Why is the indicative verb est used after explique que instead of the subjunctive?
Verbs of declaring, thinking, and explaining (like expliquer, dire, or penser) take the indicative mood in affirmative sentences because they express a statement of fact or certainty from the speaker's point of view. You would typically only use the subjunctive if the introductory verb were negative (e.g., Il n'explique pas que...) or inverted in a question.
How would you rewrite this situation to say "The customer is told that the down payment is not sufficient" using the indirect passive structure s'entendre?
You would say: Le client s'entend dire que l'apport n'est pas suffisant. French usually avoids the literal passive for verbs of communication (you cannot say le client est dit). Instead, s'entendre dire literally means "to hear oneself be told," which is the natural French equivalent to the English indirect passive "to be told."
Can I use assez instead of suffisant to mean "enough" here?
You can, but you usually need an adjective to go with it in this specific structure, such as l'apport n'est pas assez élevé (the down payment is not high enough). While you could casually say l'apport n'est pas assez, using the adjective suffisant is the natural, professional way a banker would phrase this.
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