Question 1

The word invraisemblable looks long. Is there an easy way to remember its meaning?

Accepted Answer

Yes, by breaking it down into its roots: in- (not) + vrai (true) + sembler (to seem) + -able (able to be). It literally means "unable to seem true," which perfectly matches "implausible" or "unlikely."

Question 2

Is the "sc" in sceptiques pronounced like the "sk" in the English word "skeptical"?

Accepted Answer

No, and this is a common trap! In French, the sc in sceptique is pronounced with a soft "s" sound: /sɛptik/ (sep-teek). Also, notice the spelling uses a c instead of the English "k".

Question 3

Could I use car instead of parce que in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but it shifts the tone slightly. Parce que introduces the direct, objective cause of their skepticism. Car is slightly more formal and acts more like "for" in English to justify a statement. In everyday conversation, parce que is the most natural fit here.

Question 4

This lesson is about toujours est-il que. Since it isn't in this sentence, how could I use it to continue this thought?

Accepted Answer

Toujours est-il que (be that as it may / the fact remains that) is used to pivot back to a factual assertion after an explanation or concession. It would work perfectly to follow up this sentence with a persistent fact. For example: "...toujours est-il que c'est la vérité !" (...the fact remains that it's the truth!).

Les gens sont sceptiques parce que cette histoire est invraisemblable.

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