Breakdown of Le transporteur organisait le transit quand le camion est tombé en panne.
être
to be
quand
when
organiser
to organize
en
in, to
tomber
to fall
la panne
the breakdown / the failure
le camion
the truck
le transporteur
the carrier
le transit
the transit
Questions & Answers about Le transporteur organisait le transit quand le camion est tombé en panne.
Why does this sentence use both the imparfait (organisait) and the passé composé (est tombé)?
Why is it est tombé and not a tombé?
The verb tomber is one of the specific verbs of motion and state change (often remembered via the 'Dr. and Mrs. Vandertramp' list) that always uses être as its auxiliary verb in compound tenses like the passé composé.
Does le transporteur only refer to a person, or can it be an entire company?
It can be both. While it literally translates to 'carrier' or 'transporter,' in a business and logistics context, un transporteur usually refers to a shipping or freight company rather than just the individual driver.
Is tomber en panne only used for vehicles breaking down?
Not at all! While it translates to 'broke down' for the truck here, you can use tomber en panne for almost any mechanical or electronic device that stops working, like a computer, an elevator, or a fridge. You can also say tomber en panne d'essence to mean you have run out of gas.
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