Word
Nous pratiquons la calligraphie avec rigueur.
Meaning
We practice calligraphy with rigor.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Nous pratiquons la calligraphie avec rigueur.
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
avec
with
pratiquer
to practice
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
Questions & Answers about Nous pratiquons la calligraphie avec rigueur.
Why is it avec rigueur and not avec de la rigueur?
When a preposition of manner like avec (with) or sans (without) is followed by an abstract noun to describe how an action is performed, French drops the article. Because rigueur is an abstract concept here, the phrase acts as a modifier describing the manner of practice, similar to an adverb.
Why do we need the article la before calligraphie when English just says "calligraphy"?
In French, general concepts, subjects, and disciplines require a definite article (le, la, les), whereas English typically uses a zero article for them. Therefore, referring to the practice of calligraphy as a whole requires la calligraphie.
Could we say faisons de la calligraphie instead of pratiquons la calligraphie?
Yes, nous faisons de la calligraphie is perfectly correct and common. However, pratiquer (to practice) sounds a bit more formal and emphasizes dedication or discipline, which pairs beautifully with avec rigueur. Note that pratiquer takes a definite article (la calligraphie), while faire takes a partitive article (de la calligraphie).
Does avec rigueur mean exactly the same thing as the adverb rigoureusement?