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Je vérifie le courriel avant de partir.

Je vérifie le courriel avant de partir.
I check the email before leaving.
FromLesson 20inHardcore French

Breakdown of Je vérifie le courriel avant de partir.

je
I
avant de
before
partir
to leave
vérifier
to check
le courriel
the email

Questions & Answers about Je vérifie le courriel avant de partir.

Why is the verb vérifie spelled with an -e at the end instead of -is or -es?

In French, regular -er verbs (like vérifier) follow this present-tense pattern:

  • Je vérifie (drop -er, add -e)
  • Tu vérifies (-es)
  • Il/Elle vérifie (-e)
    … etc.
    So for je, you always add -e, not -is.
Why is it le courriel and not l’email or mon courriel?

• Courriel is the official French term for “email” (a contraction of courrier électronique).
• We use the definite article le when referring to email as a general service or concept.
• If you want to stress ownership or plurality, you could say mon courriel (my email message) or mes courriels (my emails), but here le courriel simply means “the email” in an abstract or generic sense.

What’s the difference between courriel and email in French?

• Courriel = recommended French term (courrier électronique).
• Email is an anglicism; it’s understood but considered informal or less correct in formal writing.
• Use courriel in school, business, and official communications.

Why is avant de followed by the infinitive (partir) instead of using a conjugated verb?

When both actions share the same subject (here je), French prefers avant de + infinitive:
Avant de partir = Before leaving.
You don’t conjugate because the infinitive already expresses “to leave.”

When would I use avant que + subjunctive instead?

Use avant que + subjunctive when:
1) The subjects differ:
Avant qu’il parte, je vérifie le courriel.
2) You want a more formal or nuanced tone, even with the same subject (less common).

Why do we need the subject pronoun je in Je vérifie? In English, you can say “Check email before leaving.”
French verbs cannot stand alone without a subject pronoun—endings can overlap between persons, so je is mandatory for clarity.
Can I say Je vérifie mes courriels instead? What’s the nuance?
Yes. Mes courriels highlights that you’re checking multiple specific messages belonging to you. Using le courriel is more general or treats “email” as a singular service.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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