Marie appelle son coiffeur.

Marie calls her hairdresser.

Breakdown of Marie appelle son coiffeur.

• Marie: Marie
• appeler: to call
• son: her
• le coiffeur: the hairdresser

Questions & Answers about Marie appelle son coiffeur.

What tense is used in this sentence and how is the verb "appeler" correctly conjugated for "Marie"?

The sentence is in the present tense. The verb "appeler" is conjugated in the third-person singular form as "appelle" to agree with the subject "Marie."

Why is the possessive adjective "son" used instead of "sa," given that Marie is a woman?

In French, possessive adjectives agree with the gender of the noun they modify, not with the gender of the possessor. Since "coiffeur" is a masculine noun, the correct possessive adjective is "son," regardless of Marie being female.

What does the word "coiffeur" mean in English?

"Coiffeur" translates to "hairdresser" in English.

Can "appelle" imply different types of calling, such as making a phone call or calling someone over? How do we know which is meant here?

Yes, the verb "appeler" can mean to call someone on the phone or to call out to someone in person. The exact meaning depends on the context. In a situation where Marie is contacting her hairdresser, it is often understood as making a phone call unless additional context indicates otherwise.

How would changing the verb tense affect the meaning of the sentence?

Changing the verb tense would shift the time frame of the action. For example, "Marie appelait son coiffeur" (imparfait) suggests that she was in the habit of calling or was in the middle of calling her hairdresser, while "Marie a appelé son coiffeur" (passé composé) indicates that she completed the action of calling at a specific moment in the past.