Breakdown of Fais attention en traversant le carrefour, il y a beaucoup de voitures.
la voiture
the car
beaucoup
a lot
traverser
to cross
faire attention
to pay attention
en
while
le carrefour
the intersection
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Questions & Answers about Fais attention en traversant le carrefour, il y a beaucoup de voitures.
What does Fais attention mean in English?
It means "Be careful" or "Pay attention." This is an imperative command telling someone to exercise caution.
What is the role of the phrase en traversant le carrefour in this sentence?
This phrase is a gerund formation created with en + the present participle (traversant), meaning "while crossing the intersection." It indicates that the action of crossing happens at the same time that you need to be careful.
Who is expected to perform the action of crossing the intersection?
Although the subject isn’t explicitly mentioned, the sentence is an imperative directed at tu (you). So, it’s understood that you are the one who should be cautious as you cross the intersection.
How does the structure il y a beaucoup de voitures work, and what does it convey?
Il y a is an impersonal construction that means "there is/are." The phrase beaucoup de voitures means "many cars" or "a lot of cars." Together, the clause informs you that there are many cars to be aware of.
Why do we use beaucoup de instead of just beaucoup before voitures?
In French, when indicating a large quantity, the expression beaucoup is always followed by de before the noun, regardless of whether the noun is singular or plural. Hence, beaucoup de voitures is the correct structure to mean "many cars."
Is the tone of Fais attention formal or informal, and what determines that?
The tone is informal because Fais attention is addressed in the familiar form (using tu). For a formal instruction or when addressing multiple people, you would say Faites attention instead.