Marie maigrit parce qu'elle mange des légumes frais.

Marie loses weight because she eats fresh vegetables.

Breakdown of Marie maigrit parce qu'elle mange des légumes frais.

• Marie: Marie
• elle: she
• manger: to eat
• parce que: because
• des: some
• le légume: the vegetable
• frais: fresh
• maigrir: to lose weight

Questions & Answers about Marie maigrit parce qu'elle mange des légumes frais.

Why is the verb form “maigrit” used in this sentence rather than something like “maigre”?

“Maigrit” is the third person singular present tense of the verb maigrir, which means “to lose weight.” In French, many -ir verbs follow this pattern: je maigris, tu maigris, il/elle maigrit, etc. Using “maigrit” tells us that the action is happening in the present—Marie is losing weight (an ongoing process).

Why is there an apostrophe in “parce qu'elle” instead of writing “parce que elle”?

In French, when parce que (“because”) is followed by a word that starts with a vowel, the final vowel of “que” is dropped and replaced with an apostrophe. This elision—changing “parce que elle” to “parce qu'elle”—is done to ease pronunciation and make the sentence flow more naturally.

How does the adjective frais agree with the noun légumes in the phrase “des légumes frais”?

The noun légumes is masculine and plural, and the adjective frais is in its masculine plural form. In this case, frais does not change its spelling between the singular and plural forms, which is common for certain adjectives in French. This ensures that the adjective properly agrees with the noun it describes.

Why is the sentence written in the present tense (using “maigrit” and “mange”) instead of a compound tense like “a maigri”?

Using the present tense emphasizes that the actions are current and ongoing. “Marie maigrit” implies that she is in the process of losing weight because of her regular habit of eating fresh vegetables. A compound tense like “a maigri” would indicate a completed action in the past, which is not the intended meaning here.

What role does the pronoun elle play in this sentence?

The pronoun elle serves as the subject of the subordinate clause “elle mange des légumes frais.” It refers back to Marie, the subject of the main clause. This use of the pronoun helps avoid repetition and is a common way to link clauses in French sentences.

How does the structure of the sentence indicate cause and effect in French?

The sentence is structured with a main clause and a subordinate clause connected by parce que. The main clause “Marie maigrit” states the result (Marie is losing weight), and the subordinate clause “parce qu'elle mange des légumes frais” explains the cause (because she eats fresh vegetables). This clear linkage of cause and effect mirrors similar constructions in English and is a fundamental way to express reasons in French.

Why is the indefinite article “des” used before “légumes frais”?

“Des” is the plural indefinite article in French, used when referring to nonspecific or unspecific items—in this case, vegetables in general rather than a specific set of vegetables. This fits the meaning of the sentence, which implies that Marie’s general habit of eating fresh vegetables is contributing to her losing weight.