Question 1

Why does the sentence use Il est for the first 'He is' but c'est for the second?

Accepted Answer

This is a vital French rule that often trips up learners. We use il/elle est when followed directly by an adjective with no article, like prudent. However, when you have a noun introduced by a determiner (like mon contact, un ami, or le patron), you must switch to c'est. This applies even when you are talking about the exact same person in the same sentence.

Question 2

Could I say parce qu'il est mon contact instead?

Accepted Answer

No, that sounds very unnatural to a French ear. While English happily says 'he is my contact', French strictly requires c'est before a modified noun (a noun with a word like un, le, or mon in front of it). Saying il est mon contact is a very common trap for English speakers.

Question 3

The current lesson is about en dépit de (in spite of). How could I express 'in spite of being my contact' using this grammar?

Accepted Answer

Because en dépit de must be followed by a noun phrase rather than a full subject-verb clause, you can't just swap it with parce que c'est. You would need to rephrase the noun part. For example, you could say Il est prudent en dépit de son statut de contact (He is careful in spite of his status as a contact).

Question 4

Is the word contact used exactly the same way as in English here?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Just like in English, un contact can refer to physical touch, an electrical connection, or—as it does in this sentence—a person in your professional or social network who can provide information or help. It is a perfect cognate.

Il est prudent parce que c'est mon contact.

Breakdown of Il est prudent parce que c'est mon contact.

Questions & Answers about Il est prudent parce que c'est mon contact.

Learn Il est prudent parce que c'est mon contact and more in French