Breakdown of Un groupe d'amis a fait le buzz avec ceux-ci.
un
a / an (masculine)
l'ami
the friend (m)
avec
with
avoir
to have
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
faire
to do, to make
le groupe
the group
ci
this, these (demonstrative suffix)
ceux
the ones (masculine plural)
le buzz
the buzz
Questions & Answers about Un groupe d'amis a fait le buzz avec ceux-ci.
Why is the verb singular (a fait) when the subject involves plural friends (d'amis)?
When a collective noun like un groupe de (a group of) is followed by a plural noun, the verb can often be either singular or plural depending on what you want to emphasize. Here, the singular a fait is used because the speaker is focusing on the group as a single, unified entity. If they wanted to emphasize the individual friends acting, they could have used the plural ont fait.
Why is it un groupe d'amis instead of un groupe des amis?
Expressions of quantity, such as un groupe de (a group of) or une foule de (a crowd of), are followed by the preposition de (or d') without the definite article (les), unless you are talking about specific people. Un groupe d'amis means "a group of friends" in general. If you said un groupe des amis, it would mean "a group of the friends" (referring to a specific group of friends already discussed).
Is faire le buzz a standard French phrase?
Yes, it is a very common, informal modern expression meaning "to create a buzz" or "to go viral." French frequently pairs the verb faire with English loanwords to build trendy phrases, such as faire un bad buzz (to get bad publicity on the internet).
Why do we use ceux-ci at the end of the sentence instead of ceci?
Ceux-ci is a plural demonstrative pronoun meaning "these." It replaces a specific masculine plural noun that was mentioned earlier in the conversation (for example, videos or gadgets). Ceci translates to "this," but it is only used for pointing to an abstract idea, a statement, or a situation, not specific, countable objects.
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