Word
Le directeur explique-t-il l'ajustement du cursus aux parents ?
Meaning
Is the director explaining the adjustment of the curriculum to the parents?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Le directeur explique-t-il l'ajustement du cursus aux parents ?
il
he
le parent
the parent
aux
to the, at the (plural) / with (flavoured with, in dish names) / with (having as a feature)
du
of the / from the (masculine singular, with plural des)
Questions & Answers about Le directeur explique-t-il l'ajustement du cursus aux parents ?
Why is there an -il after the verb when Le directeur is already the subject?
This is called complex inversion, and it is used in formal French. When you want to ask a question using inversion but your subject is a noun (like Le directeur) rather than a pronoun, you state the noun first, then the verb, and then you attach the corresponding pronoun (il) with a hyphen. The extra -t- is added because explique ends in a vowel and il begins with one, making it easier to pronounce.
Does cursus just mean a specific class or course?
Not quite, it is a bit of a false friend. While a single class or course is un cours, a cursus refers to a broader curriculum, a degree program, or an entire path of study.
Do you pronounce the final s in cursus?
Yes, you do! Because cursus is a word borrowed directly from Latin, the final s is pronounced.
Could I ask this question without using this complicated inversion?
Absolutely. Complex inversion is very formal. In everyday spoken French, you would more likely use est-ce que (like Est-ce que le directeur explique...) or simply use normal statement word order with a rising intonation at the end.