Breakdown of Nous avions peur, alors le chien bondit et se précipite sur l'intrus.
le chien
the dog
sur
on
et
and
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
avoir peur
to be afraid
alors
so, then
l'intrus (m)
the intruder (m)
se précipiter
to rush
bondir
to leap
Questions & Answers about Nous avions peur, alors le chien bondit et se précipite sur l'intrus.
Why does the sentence start in the past (avions) but end in the present (bondit, se précipite)?
This is the présent de narration (historical present) in action! French storytellers often set the background scene using a past tense like the imparfait (Nous avions peur) and then suddenly switch to the present tense for the main events (le chien bondit et se précipite). This makes the sudden action feel much more vivid, as if you are watching it happen right now.
Wait, is bondit in the present tense or the passé simple here?
It is the present tense, but it's a great catch! For regular -ir verbs like bondir, the il/elle/on conjugation is exactly the same in the present and the passé simple (il bondit). However, because it is paired with se précipite, which is definitely present tense, we know bondit is also functioning as the present here to keep the sentence parallel.
Why use the imparfait (avions) for "we were afraid" instead of a completed past tense?
Why use sur in se précipite sur l'intrus? Doesn't sur usually mean "on"?
While sur literally means "on", the pronominal verb se précipiter sur translates to "to rush at" or "to pounce on". In French, verbs involving attacking, lunging, or aggressively moving toward a target very frequently take the preposition sur rather than à or vers.
Learn Nous avions peur, alors le chien bondit et se précipite sur l'intrus and more in French
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free