Breakdown of Il y a un conflit entre l'un et l'autre.
un
a / an (masculine)
et
and
il y a
there is / there are
le conflit
the conflict
Questions & Answers about Il y a un conflit entre l'un et l'autre.
Why use l'un et l'autre here instead of just les deux?
How do prepositions like entre work with l'un et l'autre? Do I need to repeat the preposition?
You only use the preposition once here, right before the phrase: entre l'un et l'autre. Because the phrase acts as a single concept linking the two parties, the preposition applies to the whole thing. Note that this is different from reciprocal phrases (meaning 'each other'), where the preposition splits the phrase, as in ils parlent l'un à l'autre (they speak to each other).
Would l'un et l'autre change if the two things in conflict were feminine or plural?
Yes! These pronouns must agree in gender and number with the nouns they replace. If the conflict were between two feminine entities, such as two companies (les entreprises), it would become entre l'une et l'autre. If it were between two plural masculine groups, you would use entre les uns et les autres.
Is the l' in l'un mandatory, or could I just say entre un et l'autre?