Elle dirige une grande entreprise.

Questions & Answers about Elle dirige une grande entreprise.

Why is "runs" translated as dirige here instead of a word like court?
In English, we use "run" for both physical running and managing a business. In French, these concepts are completely separate. You use courir for physical running, and diriger (which literally means to direct or guide) or gérer (to manage) for running a business or project.
Why does grande come before entreprise? I thought French adjectives usually go after the noun.
You are right that most French adjectives follow the noun. However, a specific group of common, short adjectives always goes before the noun. You can remember them with the acronym BANGS: Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness, and Size. Since grande refers to size, it comes before entreprise.
Does grande entreprise mean "large company" or "great company"?
Here, it primarily means "large company." While grand can sometimes mean "great" (like un grand homme for "a great man"), when talking about businesses or objects, it usually refers to scale. If you wanted to emphasize that it is an excellent company, you might say une excellente entreprise or une très bonne entreprise.
Are there other common words for "company" besides entreprise?
Yes! Another very common formal word is société. In everyday spoken French, you will also often hear people use the informal word boîte (which literally means "box") to refer to a company or workplace.

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