Learn Hardcore French: Paul sait qu’il y aura des difficultés, mais il n’en doute pas: ils réussiront. - Paul knows that there will be difficulties, but he does not doubt it: they will succeed.

The pronoun en replaces a complement introduced by the preposition de after the verb douter. In this sentence, it stands in for the idea or proposition that there will be difficulties (i.e., "qu’il y aura des difficultés"). This construction is typical in French because douter de requires the use of en when the object is replaced by a pronoun.

Why does the sentence use ils in "ils réussiront" instead of the feminine pronoun elles given that difficultés is feminine?

Even though difficultés is a feminine noun, ils does not refer to the difficulties. Rather, the pronoun ils refers to the group or subjects (such as Paul’s team, project participants, or effort) that are expected to succeed. The contrast set up in the sentence is between the anticipated challenges and the assured success of those involved.

What role does the colon (:) play in the structure of the sentence?

The colon is used to introduce a clarifying or explanatory remark. Here, it signals that the information following it ("ils réussiront") is a consequence or an elaboration on what was previously stated. It emphasizes how Paul’s confidence (his lack of doubt) is underpinned by the expectation of success despite the difficulties.

How do the tenses in the sentence contribute to its overall meaning?

The sentence mixes tenses to express current knowledge and future expectations. "Paul sait" is in the present to show his current state of awareness, while "il y aura des difficultés" and "ils réussiront" are in the future to indicate what is expected to happen. This combination highlights that although Paul presently recognizes upcoming challenges, he firmly believes that success will ultimately be achieved.

Why is the partitive article des used before difficultés instead of a definite article?

The use of des (the plural partitive/indefinite article) indicates that the difficulties are not specific, pre-identified obstacles but rather a general or indefinite set of challenges. It reflects the idea that Paul expects some difficulties without specifying exactly which ones, which is common when speaking in broad, general terms in French.

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