Learn French: Puis, la petite nacelle commence à tourbillonner. - Then, the small gondola starts to whirl.

Puis, la petite nacelle commence à tourbillonner.

Then, the small gondola starts to whirl.

Breakdown of Puis, la petite nacelle commence à tourbillonner.

to (introducing an infinitive after a verb)

Questions & Answers about Puis, la petite nacelle commence à tourbillonner.

Why use puis here instead of alors?

Puis is used to indicate a sequence of events, meaning "then" or "after that." Ensuite would also work perfectly here. You wouldn't typically use alors in this context, because alors usually implies a logical consequence ("so" or "therefore") or refers to a specific moment in the past ("at that time").

Why do we need the preposition à after commence?

In French, the verb commencer (to begin) requires the preposition à when it is followed by an infinitive verb. It acts as a necessary bridge between the conjugated verb (commence) and the action being started (tourbillonner).

What kind of object is a nacelle?

A nacelle refers to a suspended basket, cabin, or pod. Depending on the context, it is commonly the passenger basket of a hot air balloon, a car on a Ferris wheel or spinning fairground ride (as implied here), or even the engine housing on an airplane.

As a quick refresher, why is petite placed before the noun?

While most French adjectives follow the noun, petit falls into a small category of very common adjectives that go before it. You might remember these with the acronym BANGS, which stands for adjectives describing Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness, and Size.