Question 1

If I want to say "This book belongs to her," how do I replace à ma sœur with a pronoun?

Accepted Answer

You use the indirect object pronoun lui, giving you Ce livre lui appartient. Because appartenir connects to its object with the preposition à (making it an indirect transitive verb), it requires an indirect object pronoun. Note that lui is used for both "him" and "her" in this case.

Question 2

The current lesson is about prepositional meaning shifts. Can appartenir be used with the preposition de?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but it completely changes the meaning and structure! In the formal impersonal expression il appartient à quelqu'un de faire quelque chose, it means "it is up to someone to do something" or "it is someone's right or responsibility to do something". For example: Il lui appartient de choisir (It is up to her to choose).

Question 3

How does appartenir à compare to the simpler phrase être à for expressing possession?

Accepted Answer

Both translate to "to belong to," but appartenir à is a slightly more formal verb that emphasizes true ownership or legal property. In everyday spoken French, it is much more common to use the structure être à for simple possession, as in the sentence Ce livre est à ma sœur.

Question 4

Does the meaning shift if this verb is used reflexively as s'appartenir?

Accepted Answer

Yes, significantly. When used reflexively as s'appartenir, it means to be independent, to be one's own master, or to have control over your own time. For instance, Il travaille tellement qu'il ne s'appartient plus means he works so much that he no longer has control over his own life.

Ce livre appartient à ma sœur.

Breakdown of Ce livre appartient à ma sœur.

Questions & Answers about Ce livre appartient à ma sœur.

Learn Ce livre appartient à ma sœur and more in French