Breakdown of Je serre la main du directeur avant d’entrer dans la ruelle étroite.
je
I
dans
in
avant
before
de
of
entrer
to enter
serrer la main
to shake hands
le directeur
the director
la ruelle
the alley
étroit
narrow
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Questions & Answers about Je serre la main du directeur avant d’entrer dans la ruelle étroite.
In the sentence Je serre la main du directeur, what does serrer la main mean and how is it used?
Serrer la main means to shake hands in French. Serrer literally means to squeeze or to grip, so the expression describes gripping someone’s hand in greeting. It’s an idiomatic phrase:
- serrer la main de quelqu’un = to shake someone’s hand
Why is it du directeur instead of de le directeur?
French contracts de + le into du. So du directeur is simply the standard way to say of the director. You would never say de le directeur.
Why do we say avant d’entrer and not avant de entrer or avant à entrer?
- Avant requires de plus an infinitive (not à).
- When de comes before a verb beginning with a vowel (like entrer), we contract de + entrer into d’entrer.
Thus avant d’entrer is the only correct form.
Why is it entrer dans la ruelle étroite instead of sur la ruelle étroite or à la ruelle étroite?
- entrer dans means to enter into something (a room, a street, etc.).
- sur means on, and à alone can’t convey movement into an enclosed space.
So entrer dans la ruelle étroite correctly expresses entering the narrow alley.
What is the difference between rue and ruelle?
- Rue is a street, often wider or more formal.
- Ruelle is a small street or alley, narrow and usually pedestrian.
Using ruelle emphasizes a tighter, more hidden passage.
Why does étroite come after ruelle? Could it go before the noun?
Most French adjectives follow the noun, and étroit/étroite is one of them.
Some common adjectives (like petit, grand, beau) go before the noun, but étroit normally goes after: ruelle étroite.
Why is the sentence in the present tense? Could another tense be used?
- The present tense here describes a sequence of actions in real time (I shake, then I enter).
- You could choose another tense for a different nuance:
• Passé composé: J’ai serré la main… puis je suis entré (I shook… then I entered).
• Futur: Je serrerai la main… avant d’entrer (I will shake… before entering).
How can I replace du directeur with a pronoun to avoid repetition?
Use the indirect-object pronoun lui (him/her):
- Je lui serre la main literally means I shake his/her hand, replacing Je serre la main du directeur once the director is already identified.