Word
De même que l'état mental change, de même la pensée change.
Meaning
Just as the mental state changes, similarly thought changes.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of De même que l'état mental change, de même la pensée change.
changer
to change
l'état
the condition (m)
de même que
just as
mental
mental
Questions & Answers about De même que l'état mental change, de même la pensée change.
How does the de même que ..., de même ... structure work here?
It creates an elegant parallel comparison, translating roughly to Just as X, so Y. The first part, de même que, introduces the comparison, while the second part, de même, introduces the main clause to emphasize the resulting similarity.
Why is the indicative change used after de même que instead of the subjunctive?
Even though it ends in que, the conjunction de même que states a fact or reality rather than expressing doubt, desire, or subjectivity. Because of this, it is always followed by the indicative mood.
Why do état mental and pensée use definite articles (l' and la) when English omits them?
In French, abstract concepts and general categories always require a definite article (le, la, les, or l'), whereas English often drops them when speaking generally.
Is it necessary to repeat the verb change in the second clause?
While not grammatically required, repeating the exact same verb highlights the parallel structure and gives the sentence a formal, philosophical rhythm. You could omit the second change, but keeping it makes the comparison more striking.