Learn Hardcore French: Marie veut garder sa chambre propre, mais le salon est déjà sale. - Marie wants to keep her room clean, but the living room is already dirty.

In this context, garder means “to keep” or “to maintain” the state of something—in this case, Marie’s room remaining clean. While you might also use verbs like “maintenir” (to maintain), garder is very common in everyday French to express keeping something as it is.

Why is the possessive adjective sa used in “sa chambre”, and to whom does it refer?

The possessive adjective sa indicates ownership and is used based on the gender of the noun it modifies rather than the owner. Since chambre is feminine, sa chambre means “her bedroom”, referring to Marie.

What role does the conjunction “mais” play in the sentence?

“Mais” is a conjunction that means “but”. It introduces a contrast between the two clauses: while Marie wants to keep her room clean, the living room is already dirty. This contrast highlights a discrepancy between her desire and the current state of her home.

What is the significance of the adverb “déjà” in the phrase “le salon est déjà sale”?

The adverb “déjà” means “already”. It adds the nuance that the living room is dirty at the present moment—implying that no effort has been made to clean it, or that its dirty state predates any intended cleaning actions. This underscores the contrast with Marie’s effort (or desire) to keep things clean.

Is there any particular rule for the placement of the adjectives “propre” and “sale” in this sentence?

Yes, in French most descriptive adjectives are placed after the noun they modify. In the sentence, “chambre propre” and “salon sale” follow this rule by placing the adjectives after chambre and salon respectively. This is the standard pattern in French, with only a few adjectives appearing before the noun in specific contexts.