Question 1

Why is it non pas here instead of just making the verb negative with n'attaquent pas?

Accepted Answer

Using non pas [A], mais [B] is a strong, emphatic way to contrast two things. If you used the standard negative n'attaquent pas, you would just be stating a negative fact. By keeping the verb positive and following it with non pas, you heavily emphasize the correction: they attack not this group, but that group.

Question 2

Could I just use pas instead of non pas in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

In standard French, you need non pas to properly form the "not X, but Y" contrast after a positive verb. While you might occasionally hear native speakers shorten it to just pas in very casual, rapid speech, non pas is the correct and expected structure for this emphasis.

Question 3

Why do we use les before hommes and poissons instead of des?

Accepted Answer

We use les because the sentence refers to these groups in a general sense: humans as a whole species, and fish as a broad category. In French, general truths and broad categories always take the definite article (le, la, les), whereas des would imply only "some" unspecific men or fish.

Question 4

Does les hommes specifically mean male humans in this context?

Accepted Answer

No, in this context les hommes is used to mean "humans" or "mankind" in general. While it literally translates to "men," it is the traditional way to refer to people as a species when discussing nature or animal behavior. You could also use les humains for a more modern, scientific tone.

Ces requins attaquent non pas les hommes, mais les poissons.

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