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Marie chante, même si elle est timide.

Marie chante, même si elle est timide.
Marie sings, even if she is shy.
FromLesson 11inHardcore French
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Breakdown of Marie chante, même si elle est timide.

être
to be
Marie
Marie
elle
she
chanter
to sing
timide
shy
même si
even if
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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réserverl'hôtelsilencieuxSi j’avais plus de temps, je réserverais une chambre dans cet hôtel silencieux.la plaged'abordD'abord, Marie se dépêche avant de prendre sa douche.la valise

Questions & Answers about Marie chante, même si elle est timide.

What does même si mean in this sentence?
It translates to "even though" (or sometimes "even if") in English. In this sentence, it introduces a contrast between Marie’s action (singing) and her character trait (being shy).
Why is there a comma after Marie chante?
The comma separates the main clause from the subordinate clause that starts with même si. This punctuation helps clarify that the clause même si elle est timide is providing extra information or a contrasting circumstance, much like in English.
How do we know that elle refers to Marie?
Elle is the feminine pronoun in French. Since Marie is the only subject mentioned and is female, elle clearly refers back to Marie, avoiding repetition of her name.
What verb tenses are used in this sentence and why are they appropriate?
Both verbs, chante and est, are in the present tense. The present tense is used here to express a general fact or habitual state—Marie sings even though she is shy.
Does the adjective timide change form based on the subject’s gender in French?
In French, many adjectives like timide remain the same for both masculine and feminine subjects. So even though Marie is female, the adjective does not change its form.