Si tu écoutes attentivement, tu entendras la chanson des oiseaux dans le jardin.

If you listen carefully, you will hear the birds’ song in the garden.

Breakdown of Si tu écoutes attentivement, tu entendras la chanson des oiseaux dans le jardin.

• tu: you
• dans: in
• le jardin: the garden
• de: of
• écouter: to listen
• si: if
• la chanson: the song
• entendre: to hear
• attentivement: carefully
• l'oiseau: the bird

Questions & Answers about Si tu écoutes attentivement, tu entendras la chanson des oiseaux dans le jardin.

Why does the sentence use the present tense “écoutes” in the “if” clause and the future tense “entendras” in the result clause?

In French, when forming a conditional sentence with si (if), it’s common to use the present tense in the condition clause to express a realistic possibility, and then use the future simple in the main clause to indicate what will happen if the condition is met.

Why is the subject pronoun tu repeated in both clauses?

Each clause in French is an independent unit that requires its own subject. Even though both clauses refer to the same person, repeating tu is necessary for grammatical clarity and structure.

What role does the adverb attentivement play in the sentence?

Attentivement modifies the verb écoutes by describing how the action of listening should be performed. It emphasizes that the listening needs to be careful in order to achieve the expected result.

Why is this sentence structured as a conditional statement rather than using an imperative form?

Although an imperative (for example, Écoute attentivement !) could be used to issue a direct command, the conditional structure (Si tu écoutes attentivement, tu entendras…) sets up a cause-and-effect relationship. It implies that if the listener complies with the condition, then they will experience a certain result.

What does the phrase la chanson des oiseaux literally mean, and why is it structured that way?

La chanson des oiseaux translates literally as “the song of the birds” (or “the birds’ song”). The phrase des oiseaux is the contraction of de les oiseaux, which is the standard way to indicate possession or an associated characteristic in French.

Could the future tense entendras be replaced with the present tense entends in this sentence?

Replacing entendras with entends would change the nuance. While the present tense can sometimes express habitual actions or immediate outcomes, the future simple entendras clearly indicates that the hearing of the song will occur as a consequence of the condition being fulfilled in the future.

Why is there a comma between the conditional clause and the result clause?

The comma helps to separate the two distinct parts of the sentence – the condition and the consequence. Just as in English, this punctuation marks a pause that clarifies the relationship between the two clauses, making the sentence easier to understand.