Breakdown of Je regarde l'homme qui flâne et la femme qui savoure la volaille.
je
I
l'homme
the man (m)
la femme
the woman
et
and
qui
who
regarder
to watch
la volaille
the poultry (f)
savourer
to savor
flâner
to stroll
Questions & Answers about Je regarde l'homme qui flâne et la femme qui savoure la volaille.
Why do we use qui flâne here instead of the present participle flânant for "strolling"?
In English, we often follow a perception verb with an "-ing" word (I watch the man strolling). In French, after verbs of perception like regarder, voir, or entendre, you cannot use the present participle. Instead, you use a relative clause with qui (literally "who strolls" or "who is strolling").
Could I use the infinitive here and say Je regarde l'homme flâner?
Yes, absolutely! With perception verbs, both the infinitive (l'homme flâner) and the relative clause (l'homme qui flâne) are perfectly correct and translate the English "-ing" form. The qui structure often gently emphasizes that the action is currently in progress.
What nuance does the verb flâner add compared to just using marcher?
Does the word volaille just mean chicken, or all birds?
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