Breakdown of Je travaille mieux quand Marie m'aide.
je
I
Marie
Marie
travailler
to work
quand
when
aider
to help
mieux
better
m'
me
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Questions & Answers about Je travaille mieux quand Marie m'aide.
What does m'aide mean in this sentence?
M'aide is a contraction of me aide. Here, aide is the third-person singular form of the verb aider (to help), and me (contracted to m' before a vowel) is the object pronoun meaning me. So, Marie m'aide translates to Marie helps me.
Why is the pronoun m' placed before the verb aide instead of after?
In French, object pronouns are always positioned immediately before the conjugated verb. This rule explains why m' appears before aide; it indicates that the action of helping is directed toward the speaker.
What role does the conjunction quand play in this sentence?
Quand functions as a subordinating conjunction meaning when. It introduces the subordinate clause Marie m'aide, specifying the condition under which the main clause Je travaille mieux (I work better) occurs.
How does the adverb mieux function in the sentence?
Mieux is an adverb meaning better. It modifies the verb travaille (work) to indicate that the speaker's performance improves under the condition mentioned—that is, the speaker works better when Marie helps.
How is subject-verb agreement demonstrated in the clause Marie m'aide?
In the clause Marie m'aide, Marie is clearly the subject performing the action, and aide is the third-person singular form of aider. This shows proper subject-verb agreement in French, ensuring the verb correctly corresponds to its subject.