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Je prête ces bols si tu es d'accord.

Je prête ces bols si tu es d'accord.
I will lend these bowls if you agree.
FromLesson 21inHardcore French

Breakdown of Je prête ces bols si tu es d'accord.

je
I
tu
you
si
if
ces
these
prêter
to lend
le bol
the bowl
être d'accord
to agree

Questions & Answers about Je prête ces bols si tu es d'accord.

What is the difference between prêter and emprunter, and how do I build each?
  • prêter quelque chose à quelqu’un = to lend something to someone. Example: Je te prête un bol.
  • emprunter quelque chose à quelqu’un = to borrow something from someone. Example: Je t’emprunte un bol. The subject of prêter is the lender; the subject of emprunter is the borrower.
Why ces bols and not les bols or des bols?
  • ces bols: demonstrative; specific bowls in the situation (these/those).
  • les bols: definite; a known or generic set (the bowls).
  • des bols: indefinite; some bowls, not specific. You can add proximity: ces bols-ci (these right here) or ces bols-là (those over there).
Do I need to say who I’m lending them to? Should it be Je te prête…?
  • The sentence is fine as is, but to specify the recipient use the indirect object:
    • Pattern: prêter + direct object + à + person.
    • With pronouns: Je te prête ces bols.
    • If you also replace the direct object: Je te les prête.
  • Pronoun order (clitics): me/te/se/nous/vous
Why is it present tense (Je prête) when English might use the future?
French often uses the present for near-future plans, especially with conditions. It’s natural here. You can also say Je te prêterai ces bols si tu es d’accord; keep the present after si.
Can I say si tu seras d’accord?
No. After si for real conditions, French uses the present: si tu es d’accord, not future.
How do I make it softer or more polite?
  • Conditional for a more tentative tone: Je te prêterais ces bols si tu étais d’accord.
  • Modal idea: Je pourrais te prêter ces bols, si tu es d’accord.
  • Colloquial softeners: Ça te va si je te prête ces bols ? / Si tu veux bien, je te prête les bols.
  • Formal address: Je vous prête ces bols si vous êtes d’accord.
What exactly is d’accord? Does it change for gender/number?
  • être d’accord is a fixed expression meaning to agree.
  • It’s invariable: Je suis d’accord, Nous sommes d’accord, Elles sont d’accord (no change).
  • Spelling: d’ is de elided before a vowel. Write d’accord (apostrophe), no hyphen.
When do I use d’accord avec, d’accord pour, or … pour que?
  • Agree with someone/something: être d’accord avec
  • Agree to do something: être d’accord pour
  • Agree that something happen: être d’accord pour que
    • subjunctive. Example: Je suis d’accord pour que tu les prennes. In the given sentence, context makes the object of agreement clear, so si tu es d’accord can stand alone.
Why tu and not vous? How would the sentence change?
  • tu = informal singular. vous = formal singular or any plural.
  • Formal/plural: Je prête ces bols si vous êtes d’accord.
  • With recipient pronoun: Je vous prête ces bols.
Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
  • prête: ê is open [ɛ], like the vowel in English bet.
  • ces is [se]; the final s in bols is silent: [bɔl].
  • In rapid speech, tu es often contracts to t’es: si t’es d’accord (fine in speech, avoid in formal writing).
Could prête here be confused with the adjective prêt(e) (ready)?

They look the same as feminine adjective prête, but grammar shows the role:

  • Verb: Je prête
    • object (I lend).
  • Adjective: Je suis prêt (masc.) / Je suis prête (fem.) = I am ready.
What’s the difference between ces, ses, and c’est?
  • ces: demonstrative plural (these/those) — our sentence.
  • ses: possessive (his/her/its) for plural nouns: ses bols.
  • c’est: contraction of ce est (it is/that’s). You wouldn’t say C’est d’accord; say D’accord ! or C’est bon.
Do I need a comma before si?
  • No comma when the si-clause comes last: Je prête ces bols si tu es d’accord.
  • Use a comma if the si-clause comes first: Si tu es d’accord, je prête ces bols.
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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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