Paul fait une promesse à Marie.

Paul makes a promise to Marie.

Breakdown of Paul fait une promesse à Marie.

• Paul: Paul
• Marie: Marie
• à: to
• une: a
• faire: to make
• la promesse: the promise

Questions & Answers about Paul fait une promesse à Marie.

What does the verb faire mean in this context?

In this sentence, faire means "to make." In French, the idiomatic expression faire une promesse translates to "make a promise," aligning with English usage where we say "make a promise" rather than "do a promise."

Why is the preposition à used before Marie?

The preposition à introduces the indirect object. In this case, it indicates the person to whom the promise is made—Marie. This mirrors the English "to Marie" in "Paul makes a promise to Marie."

What does the verb form fait tell us about the subject?

Fait is the third person singular present tense form of faire. This conjugation matches the singular subject Paul, confirming that he is the one performing the action.

Why is the indefinite article une used before promesse?

The use of une indicates that the promise is one nonspecific instance among many possible promises. Additionally, promesse is a feminine noun, so the indefinite article must agree in gender (and number), hence une promesse.

How does the sentence structure of Paul fait une promesse à Marie compare with typical French word order?

The sentence follows the standard French word order: subject (Paul), followed by the verb (fait), then the direct object (une promesse), and finally the indirect object introduced by à (Marie). This order is common in French when describing an action performed by someone toward someone else.

Is there any difference in meaning between Paul fait une promesse à Marie and Paul promet à Marie?

Both sentences express that Paul is making a promise to Marie. However, Paul fait une promesse à Marie emphasizes the promise as a noun phrase within an idiomatic expression, while Paul promet à Marie uses the dedicated verb promettre. The choice often depends on stylistic preference or context.

How would you convert this sentence into the past tense?

To express the past tense, you can use the passé composé: Paul a fait une promesse à Marie. Here, a functions as the auxiliary verb and fait remains the past participle of faire. Alternatively, using promettre would yield Paul a promis à Marie.