Paul embauche mon ami.

Paul

Breakdown of Paul embauche mon ami.

• mon: my (before a masculine singular noun)
• l'ami: the friend
• embaucher: to hire

Questions & Answers about Paul embauche mon ami.

What does embaucher mean in this sentence, and how is it conjugated for Paul?

Embaucher means “to hire” or “to employ.” In this sentence, embauche is the third person singular present tense form of embaucher, matching the subject Paul. The full conjugation in the present tense is: I hire (j'embauche), you hire (tu embauches), he/she hires (il/elle embauche), we hire (nous embauchons), you (plural/formal) hire (vous embauchez), they hire (ils/elles embauchent).

Why is the possessive adjective mon used in mon ami instead of ma ami?

In French, the choice between mon and ma depends on the gender of the noun. Here, ami is masculine, so mon is used. Additionally, even if the noun were feminine and started with a vowel (like amie), French often uses mon to ease pronunciation, though in this case ami is inherently masculine.

What is the grammatical structure of the sentence, and how does it compare to English word order?

The sentence follows a simple Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure. Paul is the subject, embauche is the verb, and mon ami is the direct object. This order mirrors English (“Paul hires my friend”), making it straightforward for English speakers learning French.

In what tense is embauche used, and how can you identify it?