Learn Hardcore French: C’est la ville dont j’ai parlé à Paul hier. - This is the city that I talked about with Paul yesterday.

Dont is employed to replace a noun phrase that is governed by the preposition de. In the original expression, you would say parler de la ville (“to talk about the city”). By using dont, the sentence becomes more concise while retaining the necessary connection between the verb and its complement.

What does dont mean in this context?

In this sentence, dont essentially means "about which" or "of which". It links the noun ville (city) to the clause j’ai parlé à Paul hier, showing that the city is the subject of the conversation the speaker had with Paul.

Why isn’t que used instead of dont here?

The verb parler requires the preposition de when you’re talking about something (parler de …). The relative pronoun que cannot incorporate this preposition on its own. Dont is needed because it replaces the full phrase de la ville and maintains the proper grammatical relationship required by the verb.

Can this sentence be rephrased using a different relative pronoun?

Yes, it can be rephrased in a more formal manner using de laquelle. The rephrased sentence would be: C'est la ville de laquelle j'ai parlé à Paul hier. However, in everyday French, dont is generally preferred for its fluidity and simplicity.

What is the function of parlé in the sentence?

Parlé is the past participle used in the passé composé tense (with the auxiliary verb avoir). It indicates that the action of talking occurred in the past, and the inclusion of hier (yesterday) specifies the precise time when this completed action took place.

How does the phrase à Paul hier function within the sentence?

The phrase à Paul hier serves as an adverbial complement within the relative clause. À Paul indicates to whom the speaker was talking, and hier specifies when the conversation occurred. Together, they provide additional context to the action described in the clause j’ai parlé.