Question 1

Why is there no pas in ne fait qu'engloutir?

Accepted Answer

This sentence uses the structure ne faire que followed by an infinitive, which is the focus of your current lesson. It translates to "to do nothing but" or "to only do" an action. Because the que (contracted to qu' before a vowel) acts as a restrictor meaning "only", it replaces pas.

Question 2

Why use monnaie here instead of argent?

Accepted Answer

While argent is the general word for "money", monnaie specifically refers to physical coins or "change". Since the speaker is feeding money into a machine's slot, monnaie is the exact right word for the loose coins being lost.

Question 3

Does engloutir literally mean "gobble up", or is it just a standard word for inserting coins?

Accepted Answer

Engloutir literally means to swallow, gulp down, or engulf. Using it here is expressive and a bit humorous, personifying the machine as a greedy creature. A slightly more neutral verb for a machine taking your coin would be avaler (to swallow).

Question 4

Is fente the standard word for a coin slot?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Une fente translates to a slit, crack, or slot. In the context of vending machines, parking meters, or even mailboxes, la fente is the standard term for the opening.

Question 5

A quick refresher on toute: why does it have an -e at the end here?

Accepted Answer

When tout (meaning "all" or "the whole") is used before a noun, it must agree in gender and number with that noun. Since monnaie is a feminine singular noun, you must use the feminine singular form toute.

La fente ne fait qu'engloutir toute ma monnaie.

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