Je garde le livre sur la table.

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Breakdown of Je garde le livre sur la table.

• la table: the table
• sur: on
• le livre: the book
• garder: to keep

Questions & Answers about Je garde le livre sur la table.

Why is le livre used instead of un livre?

Using le livre indicates that it refers to a specific book that the speaker and listener both know about or have in mind. If you used un livre, it would sound more like an unspecified book.

What does garder mean in this context?

Here, garder means “to keep” something in a specific place or position over time. It often carries the sense of maintaining or holding onto something.

Why sur and not another preposition?

In French, sur typically translates to “on” in English. It emphasizes that the book is physically on top of the table. A different preposition (like dans) would change the meaning to “in” or “inside” the table, which sounds strange in this context.

Can we say Je laisse le livre sur la table instead?

Yes, but laisser adds the nuance of “leaving” the book there, often implying you’re not going to pick it up for a while. Garder stresses the idea of “keeping” it there, which can suggest you’re actively choosing that place for the book.

Is garde the correct form for “I keep”?

Yes, garde is the present tense conjugation of garder for je (I). It matches the first-person singular, just like je parle (“I speak”) or je mange (“I eat”).