Je pense que le livre est formidable.

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Breakdown of Je pense que le livre est formidable.

• être: to be
• le livre: the book
• que: that
• penser: to think

Questions & Answers about Je pense que le livre est formidable.

Why is que used in this sentence after Je pense instead of leaving it out?

In French, que is used to introduce a subordinate clause. When you say Je pense que le livre est formidable, you are literally saying I think that the book is great. In English, you can often drop the word that, but in French, the connector que is required to link your thought to the statement.

Why do we use the verb est and not c’est?

est is the third-person singular form of être (to be) that directly refers to le livre (the book). You use c’est (it’s/this is) when you are pointing something out, like C’est un livre formidable (It’s a great book), but here, since the subject is already le livre, you simply say le livre est formidable.

What does formidable mean in French?

In French, formidable usually translates to meanings like fantastic, amazing, or great, rather than the English sense of formidable (impressive in size or power). It’s a positive description in French indicating that the book is really good or exceptional.

Why is le livre in this sentence rather than un livre or mon livre?

If you say le livre, you might be talking about a specific book you both know about or have already discussed. Un livre would suggest any book, not specified, while mon livre implies it’s your book. In this sentence, using le gives a definite, particular sense.

Is there a difference between Je pense que and Je crois que?

Both mean I think that... or I believe that..., but je pense que is often used for thoughts or opinions, whereas je crois que can imply belief or conviction. In everyday conversation, they’re often used interchangeably, though penser emphasizes the process of thinking, and croire emphasizes belief.