Aujourd'hui, il est déjà tard, alors je vais rester à la maison.

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Breakdown of Aujourd'hui, il est déjà tard, alors je vais rester à la maison.

• être: to be
• la maison: the house
• aujourd'hui: today
• tard: late
• à: at
• déjà: already
• alors: so
• aller: to go to
• rester: to stay

Questions & Answers about Aujourd'hui, il est déjà tard, alors je vais rester à la maison.

Why do we use il est déjà tard instead of c’est déjà tard?

In French, time-related expressions often use the impersonal pronoun il (for example, il est tard, il est tôt, il est midi, etc.). This structure emphasizes the time of day rather than referring to a specific concept or object, which ce would imply.

What does alors convey in this sentence? Could we use donc instead?

Alors translates roughly to “so” or “then” and often implies a causal link or conclusion following a situation. Donc also conveys “so,” but alors can sound a bit more conversational, offering a smooth transition. In casual speech, both can work, but alors feels a bit more natural or immediate in everyday language.

Why say je vais rester instead of using the future tense je resterai?

Je vais rester is known as the near-future construction in French. It indicates an action that will happen soon or that is already decided. Je resterai is the simple future and can sound a bit more formal or less immediate. Using je vais rester makes the decision feel more spontaneous or imminent.

Is there any difference between rester à la maison and rester chez moi?

Rester à la maison simply means “stay at home” in a general sense. Rester chez moi pinpoints that it's your home specifically. If you’re stressing that it’s your place, you’d choose chez moi. Otherwise, à la maison is perfectly fine and very common.

Is aujourd’hui flexible in position, or must it always start the sentence?

You can place aujourd’hui in different positions for stylistic or emphasis reasons. For instance, il est déjà tard aujourd’hui, alors je vais rester à la maison still makes sense. However, starting a sentence with aujourd’hui is quite common and provides a clear reference to the current day right away.