Je lis le livre rapidement, sinon je vais oublier.

I read the book quickly, otherwise I will forget.

Breakdown of Je lis le livre rapidement, sinon je vais oublier.

• je: I
• lire: to read
• le livre: the book
• aller: to go
• oublier: to forget
• rapidement: quickly
• sinon: otherwise

Questions & Answers about Je lis le livre rapidement, sinon je vais oublier.

Why is rapidement used instead of something like vite?

Rapidement and vite both mean "quickly." Rapidement sounds a bit more formal and literally translates to “rapidly,” while vite is a bit more colloquial. You can use them interchangeably without changing the meaning significantly, but "rapidement" fits nicely in written or slightly more formal contexts.

Why does the adverb rapidement come after le livre?

In French, adverbs describing how an action is performed (e.g., "quickly," "slowly") can typically go right after the verb or after the direct object if the verb has a direct object. So you can say:
• Je lis le livre rapidement.
• Je lis rapidement le livre.
Both are correct, but the first is more common and emphasizes that you’re reading the book quickly.

What does sinon mean in this sentence, and why is it used?

Sinon means “otherwise” or “if not.” It connects the first part of the sentence with the consequence that would happen if you don’t do the first action. In this context, it indicates that if you don’t read the book quickly, the consequence is that you’re going to forget something (the details of the book, presumably).

Why is the future construction je vais oublier used rather than a simple present tense?

Je vais oublier translates literally to “I’m going to forget,” indicating a near or inevitable future event. Using the present tense j’oublie would mean “I forget” but wouldn’t capture the idea that this forgetting will happen soon or in the near future unless you read quickly. The aller + infinitive form is common in conversational French to indicate something that’s about to happen.

Could I say j’oublierai instead of je vais oublier?

Yes, j’oublierai is the simple future tense and also translates to “I will forget.” It sounds slightly more formal or detached, whereas je vais oublier sounds more immediate and conversational. Both forms are correct, and they mainly differ in style rather than meaning.