Depuis hier, je cuisine avec une nouvelle recette qui inclut beaucoup d’épices.

Since yesterday, I have been cooking with a new recipe that includes a lot of spices.

Breakdown of Depuis hier, je cuisine avec une nouvelle recette qui inclut beaucoup d’épices.

• je: I
• avec: with
• de l': some
• hier: yesterday
• nouveau: new
• cuisiner: to cook
• beaucoup: a lot
• depuis: since
• la recette: the recipe
• qui: that
• inclure: to include
• l'épice: the spice

Questions & Answers about Depuis hier, je cuisine avec une nouvelle recette qui inclut beaucoup d’épices.

Why is the present tense used in the sentence even though the action started “since yesterday”?

In French, when using depuis to indicate that an action began in the past and continues into the present, it’s common to use the present tense. In this sentence, je cuisine shows that the cooking started yesterday and is still ongoing.

What is the function of the phrase depuis hier in this sentence?

Depuis hier is an adverbial time expression. It tells us when the cooking started, establishing that the activity began yesterday and has continued up to now. This helps convey the ongoing nature of the action.

Why is the relative pronoun qui used in the clause qui inclut beaucoup d’épices?

The pronoun qui introduces a relative clause that provides additional information about une nouvelle recette. Because recette is the subject of the verb inclut in the clause, qui is the appropriate relative pronoun to use.

How is the verb inclut formed, and with which noun does it agree?

Inclut is the third person singular present tense form of the verb inclure. It agrees with its subject in the relative clause, which is une nouvelle recette—a singular noun—ensuring subject-verb agreement.

Why is the preposition avec used after je cuisine, and could another preposition work in this context?

Avec is used to express that the cooking is being done using or in the company of something—in this case, une nouvelle recette. It shows that the recipe is the tool or method being employed. While other prepositions like en exist, avec is the natural choice here in French to indicate “with” in the sense of using something.

Why does the adjective nouvelle come before the noun recette in French?

In French, certain adjectives—especially those that express qualities like newness, beauty, or age—typically come before the noun. Nouvelle is one such adjective and is conventionally placed before recette. This word order differs from some other cases in French but aligns with common usage for adjectives of this type.