Breakdown of Il faut entretenir la berline pour garder sa fiabilité.
pour
for
son
his/her/its (son, sa, ses)
il
it (impersonal subject)
falloir
to be necessary / must (impersonal)
garder
to keep
la berline
the sedan
entretenir
to maintain (keep in good condition)
la fiabilité
the reliability
Questions & Answers about Il faut entretenir la berline pour garder sa fiabilité.
Why is 'maintain' translated as entretenir instead of maintenir?
The English translation says 'You have to', but the French uses Il faut. Could I say Tu dois here?
You could, but il faut followed by an infinitive is the most natural way to express a general obligation or a rule in French. It translates to 'it is necessary to' or a general 'you have to' or 'one must', making it perfect for general advice about car maintenance where 'you' doesn't refer to one specific person.
Why is it sa fiabilité for 'its reliability'?
In French, possessive adjectives agree with the noun being possessed, not the owner. Fiabilité is a feminine noun, so it requires the feminine possessive sa. Unlike English, French doesn't have a separate word for 'its' versus 'his' or 'her'—the words son, sa, and ses cover all three depending on the gender and number of the object being owned.
Learn Il faut entretenir la berline pour garder sa fiabilité and more in French
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free