Paul prend son goûter dans le jardin.

Paul takes his snack in the garden.

Breakdown of Paul prend son goûter dans le jardin.

• Paul: Paul
• dans: in
• le jardin: the garden
• prendre: to take

Questions & Answers about Paul prend son goûter dans le jardin.

What does the verb prendre mean in this context? Does it literally mean "to take" or is it used idiomatically to mean "to have"?

In this sentence, prendre literally means "to take," but it is used idiomatically to express that Paul is having his snack. Rather than implying that he is physically taking something from someone else, it means he is consuming his snack.

Why is the possessive adjective son used here instead of sa? How do we decide which one to use?

The choice of son is determined by the gender of the noun that follows. Since goûter is a masculine noun, son is used regardless of the gender of the owner. In French, the possessive agrees with the noun it modifies, not necessarily with the subject.

What exactly does goûter mean in this sentence? Can it be translated directly as "snack" in English?

Yes, in this context goûter refers to a snack, more specifically a mid-afternoon snack that is traditional in French culture. Although goûter can also function as a verb meaning "to taste" in other contexts, here it is clearly a noun referring to the snack itself.

Why is the prepositional phrase dans le jardin used? Could it also be expressed as au jardin?