Nous parlons parfois de la peur de l’inconnu, mais il ne faut jamais cesser d’avancer.

We sometimes talk about the fear of the unknown, but one must never stop moving forward.

Breakdown of Nous parlons parfois de la peur de l’inconnu, mais il ne faut jamais cesser d’avancer.

• ne ... pas: not
• nous: we
• de: of
• parler: to speak
• mais: but
• falloir: to be necessary
• parfois: sometimes
• de: about
• la peur: the fear
• l'inconnu: the unknown
• jamais: never
• cesser: to stop
• avancer: to move forward

Questions & Answers about Nous parlons parfois de la peur de l’inconnu, mais il ne faut jamais cesser d’avancer.

Why do we say de la peur de l’inconnu instead of something like du peur de l’inconnu?

In French, peur is a feminine noun, so when using it in a partitive sense (talking about “some fear” or fear in general), you say de la peur rather than du peur (which would be masculine). Hence, de la peur de l’inconnu is the correct form.

Why is il ne faut jamais cesser used instead of a more direct subject like nous ne devons jamais cesser?

Il ne faut jamais cesser is an impersonal construction that literally means “It must never be the case that one stops…” It conveys a general rule or necessity rather than targeting a specific person. While you can say nous ne devons jamais cesser, il ne faut jamais is more neutral and commonly used to express recommendations or obligations that apply to everyone.

When do we pronounce the final -s in parlons, and why?

In nous parlons, the final -s is not pronounced because in French, final consonants are often silent. You typically only hear the -s in liaison when the following word starts with a vowel sound (for example: nous parlons anglais). However, in that specific phrase, you might hear a liaison if you’re speaking in a very formal or careful register, making it sound like nou par-lon-zanglais. In everyday speech, many speakers may omit the liaison.

What is the role of mais in this sentence?

Mais is a coordinating conjunction that means “but.” It introduces a contrast or an opposite idea. In this sentence, it contrasts the idea of occasionally discussing fear with the idea that one should never let that fear prevent forward movement.

Is there a difference between parfois and quelquefois?

Both words mean “sometimes.” You can generally use them interchangeably in most contexts. However, parfois is often considered slightly more formal or literary than quelquefois, but the difference is subtle and not strict.