Breakdown of Paul complète son travail tous les jours.
Paul
Paul
tous
every
le jour
the day
le travail
the work
son
his
compléter
to complete
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching French grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Paul complète son travail tous les jours.
Why is there an accent on complète in this sentence?
The accent on complète indicates the correct pronunciation as it is the third person singular present form of the verb compléter. In French, many verbs in the -er group use an accent on the stem vowel to maintain a consistent sound, so the accent aigu (é) is essential.
Why is son used in son travail instead of sa?
In French, the possessive adjective must agree with the gender of the noun it modifies. Since travail is a masculine noun, son is used regardless of whether the owner (Paul) is male or female. This correctly translates to "his work."
What does tous les jours mean, and what role does it play in the sentence?
Tous les jours literally means "all the days," but it is understood to mean "every day." It functions as an adverbial phrase of frequency, telling us that Paul completes his work daily.
Is the verb compléter a regular French verb?
Yes, compléter is a regular -er verb. Although you need to pay attention to the accent in its various conjugations (for example, complète in the third person singular), its conjugation follows the standard pattern used by most verbs ending in -er.
Why is the present tense used in this sentence?
The present tense in French is not only used for actions happening right now but also for habitual or repeated actions. In "Paul complète son travail tous les jours," it emphasizes that completing his work every day is a routine action.
How does the word order in this French sentence compare to that of English?
The word order in French here is very similar to English: the subject (Paul) comes first, followed by the verb (complète), the direct object (son travail), and finally the adverbial phrase (tous les jours). This subject-verb-object (SVO) structure mirrors typical English sentence order.
Could other expressions be used to indicate the idea of "every day" in French?
Yes, alternatives such as chaque jour (each day) or quotidiennement (daily) can also be used to convey that an action happens every day. However, tous les jours is a very common and idiomatic way to express this frequency.