Learn French: Ce doctorant a peur du comité. - This doctoral student is afraid of the committee.

Ce doctorant a peur du comité.

This doctoral student is afraid of the committee.

Breakdown of Ce doctorant a peur du comité.

this (before a noun)

of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)

Questions & Answers about Ce doctorant a peur du comité.

Why is it du comité and not de la comité or de comité after avoir peur?

The expression is avoir peur de (to be afraid of). The noun comité is masculine, so it takes the definite article le. When the preposition de and the article le meet, they must contract into du.

Why does comité take a masculine article when it ends in -té?

While the vast majority of French nouns ending in -té are feminine (like la beauté or la société), there are a few masculine exceptions. Le comité is one of them, along with le côté (the side) and le pâté (the meat spread).

Could I use the verb craindre here instead of avoir peur de?

Yes, you could say Ce doctorant craint le comité. However, the expression avoir peur de is the standard, most natural way to say you are afraid of something in everyday French. Craindre is a bit more formal, closer in tone to the English verb to fear.

If the doctoral student were female, how would the beginning of this sentence change?

You would use the feminine noun doctorante. Because the noun changes gender, the demonstrative adjective must also become feminine, giving you Cette doctorante.