Il est important de garder le livre au sec.

It is important to keep the book dry.

Breakdown of Il est important de garder le livre au sec.

• être: to be
• le livre: the book
• important: important
• sec: dry
• garder: to keep

Questions & Answers about Il est important de garder le livre au sec.

Why do we say Il est important de instead of C’est important de?

In French, when talking about an action’s importance, the construction Il est important de + infinitive is very natural and common. You can use C’est important de too, but Il est important de sounds more formal or slightly more impersonal, focusing on the idea or action rather than a specific subject.

Why is there a de before garder?

In French, certain impersonal expressions like Il est important, Il est nécessaire, Il est essentiel, and others, are usually followed by de before the infinitive verb. It’s an established pattern in the language and helps connect the impersonal statement to the action (the verb).

What does au sec literally mean?

The phrase au sec literally means in a dry place or dry. Here, it’s used to emphasize that the book should remain dry, suggesting you should keep it out of any moisture or humidity.

Why do we say le livre instead of un livre?

Using le livre is more specific: it implies that you have a particular book in mind. If you were talking about any random book, you might use un livre, but in this sentence, it seems you’re referring to a specific book that needs to be kept dry.