Il est nécessaire de lire chaque jour.

to be

Breakdown of Il est nécessaire de lire chaque jour.

• le jour: the day
• lire: to read
• chaque: every
• nécessaire: necessary

Questions & Answers about Il est nécessaire de lire chaque jour.

Why is there a de before the infinitive lire?

In French, certain impersonal expressions (like Il est nécessaire) are followed by de + infinitive. This is a common structure to indicate that something is necessary or obligatory. For example, Il est important de réviser also uses this pattern. You cannot remove de, nor replace it with à in this construction.

Could we say Il est nécessaire que je lise chaque jour instead?

Yes, that’s correct too—it uses the subjunctive: Il est nécessaire que je lise chaque jour. However, English speakers often find the subjunctive more challenging, and Il est nécessaire de lire chaque jour is perfectly fine and perhaps more succinct in everyday speech.

Is chaque jour the same as tous les jours?

Chaque jour literally means each day, while tous les jours means every day. In most contexts, they’re interchangeable to express daily frequency. However, chaque jour can sound a bit more formal or methodical, and tous les jours slightly more casual or general.

Could we say Il faut lire chaque jour instead?

Yes, Il faut lire chaque jour conveys a very similar idea. Il faut (one must) is more direct and can sometimes sound a bit stronger. Il est nécessaire de… suggests a necessity but with a slightly more formal tone.

Do I need to change the verb form depending on who’s reading?

When using the construction Il est nécessaire de + infinitive, the verb stays in the infinitive regardless of the subject. If you want to specify who is reading, you can say Il est nécessaire pour moi de lire chaque jour (It is necessary for me to read every day)—but the de + lire format remains unchanged.