Breakdown of J'emporte ma valise pour aller en ville.
je
I
ma
my
en
in
la ville
the city
aller
to go
pour
in order to
la valise
the suitcase
emporter
to take
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Questions & Answers about J'emporte ma valise pour aller en ville.
Why is the subject pronoun written as J'emporte instead of Je emporte?
In French, when the subject pronoun je is followed by a word that begins with a vowel sound (as in emporter), the vowel in je is dropped and replaced by an apostrophe for easier pronunciation. Thus, je emporte becomes J'emporte.
What does the verb emporter mean in this sentence, and how is it different from apporter?
Emporter means “to take something with you as you leave” or “to carry away,” indicating movement from the current place. In contrast, apporter means “to bring something to where you are.” Since the sentence implies taking the suitcase with you when leaving for town, emporter is the appropriate choice.
Why is the infinitive aller used after the preposition pour?
In French, the structure pour + infinitive is commonly used to express purpose or intent. In this sentence, pour aller en ville means “in order to go to town.” The infinitive aller follows pour to indicate the reason behind taking the suitcase.
Why is the possessive adjective ma used before valise?
The noun valise (suitcase) is feminine in French, so the corresponding possessive adjective must also be feminine. Hence, ma valise is used instead of mon valise.
Could you express the purpose in another way, for example using afin de, and are there any differences?
Yes, you can say afin d'aller en ville instead of pour aller en ville. Both structures express purpose; however, afin de is slightly more formal than pour. The meaning remains essentially the same in this context.