Marie lève la main.

Marie

Breakdown of Marie lève la main.

• la main: the hand
• lever: to raise

Questions & Answers about Marie lève la main.

Why does the sentence use the definite article la in “la main” instead of a possessive adjective like sa?

In French, when referring to body parts that clearly belong to the subject, the definite article is used rather than a possessive adjective. Although the English translation is “Marie raises her hand,” French conventionally expresses this as “la main,” since it is obvious whose hand is being referred to.

What is the significance of the verb form lève in this sentence, and what is its root form?

The verb lève is the third person singular present tense form of the regular –er verb lever, which means “to raise” or “to lift.” Since the subject is Marie, the correct conjugation is lève. The infinitive form is lever, and its form changes to agree with the subject in tense and number.

Is “Marie lève la main” a reflexive construction like “Marie se lève”? What is the difference?

No, it is not reflexive. In “Marie lève la main,” the action is performed on a specific body part (her hand), making the verb transitive with la main as its direct object. In contrast, “Marie se lève” uses the reflexive pronoun se and means “Marie gets up” (or literally “Marie rises herself”), where the subject performs the action on herself as a whole.

How does the structure of “Marie lève la main” compare with its English equivalent “Marie raises her hand,” and why do the articles differ?

In English, the sentence uses the possessive adjective her to indicate ownership of the hand. However, French typically uses a definite article (here la) when the identity of the body part’s owner is already established by the subject. This difference is common when comparing French and English constructions involving body parts or clothing, where French favors the definite article over the possessive adjective.