Breakdown of Je ne regarde que l'écran, car le reste de la pièce est sombre.
je
I
être
to be
de
of
car
because
la pièce
the room
sombre
dark
regarder
to look at
ne ... que
only
l’écran
the screen
le reste
the rest
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Questions & Answers about Je ne regarde que l'écran, car le reste de la pièce est sombre.
What does ne … que mean in this sentence?
The construction ne … que is not a full negation but a limiter meaning “only.” So Je ne regarde que l’écran literally means “I look at only the screen.”
Why isn’t there a second ne like in a normal negation (e.g., ne … pas)?
In French, when you use ne … que, the ne stays before the verb and que replaces the negative particle (like pas, jamais, etc.). You never add a second ne in this structure.
Could I use seulement instead of ne … que?
Yes. You could say Je regarde seulement l’écran. Both mean “I only look at the screen,” but ne … que is often a bit more formal or emphatic in writing, while seulement is more neutral and common in speech.
Why is car used here instead of parce que or parce qu’?
Car is a coordinating conjunction meaning “for” or “because,” typically used in written or formal French. It links two independent clauses and follows a comma. Parce que is a subordinating conjunction, more common in speech, and introduces a subordinate clause without the need for a comma before it.
In le reste de la pièce, why do we use de and what does reste mean here?
Reste is a masculine noun meaning “the remainder” or “the rest.” The preposition de indicates possession or partition: le reste de la pièce = “the rest of the room.”
Why is pièce feminine but reste masculine? How do I know which article to use?
Every noun in French has its own gender. Pièce (room) is feminine, so you say la pièce. Reste (remainder) is masculine, so it takes le reste. You must learn each noun’s gender, often by memorizing or using a dictionary.
What is l’écran and why is there an apostrophe?
Écran (screen) begins with a vowel sound, so le contracts to l’. L’écran simply means “the screen.”
Does the adjective sombre change here for gender or number?
No change is needed. Sombre ends with an unpronounced -e, which is the same for masculine singular and feminine singular. It would change only in plural (e.g., sombres).