Breakdown of Je travaille afin de gagner de l'argent.
je
I
travailler
to work
de l'
some
l'argent
the money
gagner
to earn
afin de
in order to
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Questions & Answers about Je travaille afin de gagner de l'argent.
What does afin de mean in this sentence?
Afin de means “in order to.” It indicates the purpose or intention behind the action—in this case, that you work with the goal of earning money.
Why is afin de used instead of the simpler pour?
Both afin de and pour can express purpose, but afin de is often seen as more formal and deliberate. It emphasizes the intention behind the action, making it a preferred choice in written or formal contexts.
Why is the verb gagner in the infinitive form after afin de?
In French, when you use expressions of purpose like afin de, the verb that follows must be in its infinitive form. This rule makes it clear that the action performed (working) is directed toward achieving the purpose (earning money).
What is the function of de l'argent in the sentence?
De l'argent acts as a partitive object that signifies an unspecified amount of money. The use of de here isn’t a result of a preposition but part of the partitive article, which is standard when referring to uncountable or undefined quantities.
Can the sentence be rephrased using pour instead of afin de, and would that change its meaning?
Yes, you could say Je travaille pour gagner de l'argent. The overall meaning wouldn’t change—the sentence would still convey that you work with the purpose of earning money—but using pour would make the sentence slightly less formal compared to afin de.