Marie reste fière de ses progrès en pâtisserie et espère être prête pour le grand jour.

Marie remains proud of her progress in pastry-making and hopes to be ready for the big day.

Breakdown of Marie reste fière de ses progrès en pâtisserie et espère être prête pour le grand jour.

• être: to be
• Marie: Marie
• et: and
• grand: big
• en: in
• le jour: the day
• pour: for
• de: of
• espérer: to hope
• rester: to remain
• prêt: ready
• la pâtisserie: the pastry
• fier: proud
• le progrès: the progress

Questions & Answers about Marie reste fière de ses progrès en pâtisserie et espère être prête pour le grand jour.

What does the phrase "reste fière" mean in this sentence?

It means "remains proud" or "continues to be proud." Here, "reste" is the conjugated form of the verb "rester" (to remain), and "fière" is an adjective meaning "proud," which is in the feminine form to agree with the subject, Marie.

What is conveyed by "ses progrès en pâtisserie" in the sentence?

The phrase "ses progrès en pâtisserie" translates to "her progress in pastry-making." It indicates that Marie has made noticeable improvements or advances in her skills with pastries. The possessive "ses" tells us the progress belongs to her, and "en pâtisserie" specifies the particular area in which she is improving.

How does the structure "espère être prête" work, and why is the infinitive "être" used?

The structure follows a common French pattern where a verb expressing a desire or hope is followed by an infinitive. "Espère" means "hopes," and it is directly linked to "être prête" (to be ready). The use of the infinitive "être" is standard after verbs like espérer, meaning Marie hopes to be ready for what’s coming, without needing a separate subject in the second clause.

Why isn’t the subject Marie repeated before "espère être prête"?

In French, when two actions share the same subject, it’s common to mention that subject only once at the beginning of the sentence. Here, Marie is the subject for both "reste fière" and "espère être prête," so there’s no need to repeat her name in the second clause.

What does "le grand jour" refer to, and can its meaning vary?

"Le grand jour" literally means "the big day." In this context, it implies an important or milestone event for which Marie is preparing—this could be a wedding, a significant competition, or any major occasion. Its exact meaning often depends on the broader context, but it always denotes an event of great significance.

Why do the adjectives "fière" and "prête" appear in their feminine forms?

Both adjectives are in the feminine form because they agree with the subject Marie, who is female. In French, adjectives must match the gender (and number) of the noun they’re describing, which is why you see "fière" (proud) and "prête" (ready) in their feminine forms.