Breakdown of Finissons cette pile de livres à étiqueter avant que le chef n'arrive.
le livre
the book
ce
this (before a noun)
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
le chef
the boss / the manager
arriver
to arrive
finir
to finish
avant que
before (conjunction)
ne
expletive 'ne' (no negative meaning)
à
to (passive infinitive after a noun)
la pile
the pile (organized stack)
étiqueter
to tag
Questions & Answers about Finissons cette pile de livres à étiqueter avant que le chef n'arrive.
Why do we use à étiqueter here instead of pour étiqueter?
In French, when you want to express that a noun needs 'to be done' (a passive meaning), you use à + infinitive. Livres à étiqueter means 'books to be tagged'. If you used pour, it would imply the books themselves were going to do the tagging!
Is livres à étiqueter a shortcut for a longer phrase?
Why is there an n' before arrive? Does it mean the boss isn't arriving?
No, the meaning is affirmative. This is the ne explétif (expletive ne). It doesn't negate the verb; it is a formal, stylistic word often triggered by expressions of time, fear, or precaution, such as avant que (before). It is completely optional, so avant que le chef arrive is also perfectly correct.
Is arrive in the present indicative or the subjunctive mood here?
It is in the subjunctive. The conjunction avant que always requires the subjunctive mood. Because arriver is a regular -er verb, its third-person singular form in the subjunctive (arrive) looks exactly the same as the present indicative, but it is grammatically subjunctive here.
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