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Questions & Answers about Il est temps de réveiller Marie pour le petit-déjeuner, mais tu peux aussi me réveiller plus tard.
What does the sentence mean overall?
It means "It's time to wake Marie up for breakfast, but you can also wake me up later." The first part indicates that now is the appropriate time to wake Marie for her meal, while the second part offers an option to wake the speaker later.
Why is the infinitive verb réveiller used after Il est temps de?
In French, impersonal expressions like Il est temps de are followed by the infinitive form. This structure functions similarly to saying "It's time to..." in English, where the action is expressed by the infinitive verb.
What is the difference between réveiller and se réveiller in this context?
Réveiller is a transitive verb meaning "to wake someone up" and requires a direct object (here, Marie or me). In contrast, se réveiller is a reflexive form meaning "to wake up" on one’s own. Since the sentence instructs someone to wake another person, the non-reflexive form (réveiller) is correctly used.
Why is the pronoun me used in tu peux aussi me réveiller plus tard instead of a reflexive pronoun?
The pronoun me is a direct object pronoun that refers to the speaker, meaning "wake me up." A reflexive pronoun like se would imply that the subject is waking themselves up. Here, the listener is being addressed to perform the action on someone else (the speaker), so me is appropriate.
What function does the phrase pour le petit-déjeuner serve?
The phrase pour le petit-déjeuner specifies the reason or purpose of waking Marie up—it indicates that she should be awakened in order to have breakfast. It provides contextual information, similar to saying "for breakfast" in English.
How does the conjunction mais affect the structure of the sentence?
The conjunction mais (meaning "but") introduces a contrast between the two instructions. The first part tells someone to wake Marie up for breakfast, while the second part offers an alternative option to wake the speaker later. This contrast helps clarify that the actions do not need to occur simultaneously.
What does plus tard imply in this sentence?
Plus tard means "later." It suggests that the speaker does not require immediate attention and can be woken up at a subsequent time, contrasting with the urgent need to wake Marie for breakfast.