Learn Hardcore French: Ma sœur a laissé tomber sa tasse, mais heureusement, elle ne s’est pas brisée. - My sister dropped her cup, but fortunately, it did not break.

Laisser tomber literally means “to let fall” or “to drop.” In this sentence it describes how the cup was dropped by the sister. Unlike simply saying tomber (“to fall”), the expression laisser tomber emphasizes that the object was accidentally dropped rather than simply falling by itself.

Why does the pronoun elle appear in the second clause, and to what does it refer?

The pronoun elle replaces sa tasse because tasse is a feminine noun. Even though ma sœur is also feminine, context shows that the mentioned object (the cup) is at risk of breaking, so elle clearly refers back to the cup.

How is past participle agreement handled in s’est brisée, and why does brisée have an extra “e”?

In the reflexive construction s’est brisée, the past participle agrees in gender (and number) with the noun that is both the subject and the object of the verb, which here is the feminine noun tasse. Because tasse is feminine, brisée takes an extra “e” to reflect that agreement.

Why do we see two different auxiliary verbs in the sentence—a laissé tomber using avoir and s’est brisée using être?

The difference comes from the nature of the verbs. The first clause, ma sœur a laissé tomber sa tasse, uses avoir because laisser tomber is a regular action verb that forms the passé composé with avoir. The second clause, elle ne s’est pas brisée, uses être because reflexive verbs (those that include se) always form the passé composé with être in French.

Why doesn't the past participle laissé agree with sa tasse even though a feminine object is involved?

With verbs that use avoir in the passé composé, the past participle only agrees with a preceding direct object. In ma sœur a laissé tomber sa tasse, sa tasse comes after the past participle, so there is no agreement. That is why laissé remains unchanged.

What does heureusement mean, and what role does it play in the sentence?

Heureusement means “fortunately.” It expresses the speaker’s relief or satisfaction that despite the mishap of dropping the cup, it did not break. It helps to convey a positive attitude about the outcome.

Can you explain the overall structure of the sentence and how the two clauses are connected?

The sentence is composed of two independent clauses joined by the conjunction mais (“but”). The first clause explains the mishap (ma sœur a laissé tomber sa tasse – “My sister dropped her cup”), and the second clause provides a positive outcome (heureusement, elle ne s’est pas brisée – “fortunately, it did not break”). A comma is used to separate the two parts, clarifying the shift in thought from a negative event to a fortunate result.