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Autrement, elle me conseille d’attendre demain.

Autrement, elle me conseille d’attendre demain.
Otherwise, she advises me to wait until tomorrow.
FromLesson 22inHardcore French

Breakdown of Autrement, elle me conseille d’attendre demain.

elle
she
demain
tomorrow
de
of
me
me
attendre
to wait
conseiller
to advise
autrement
otherwise

Questions & Answers about Autrement, elle me conseille d’attendre demain.

What does Autrement mean here, and why is there a comma after it?
Here Autrement works as a sentence adverb meaning otherwise or alternatively. The comma sets it off as a discourse marker that links this sentence to the previous idea (e.g., “If not, …”). Without the comma, it’s still understandable, but the pause is standard. Note that autrement can also mean differently when it modifies a verb directly (e.g., agir autrement = act differently).
Can I replace Autrement with Sinon?

Often yes. Both can mean otherwise/else. Nuances:

  • Sinon is the go-to for otherwise/else in many everyday contexts and can also mean except/other than (a use that autrement doesn’t have).
  • Autrement can mean differently; sinon cannot. In your sentence, Sinon, elle me conseille d’attendre demain would be very natural.
Why is me before conseille? Why not moi or à moi?

French unstressed object pronouns (me, te, lui, etc.) normally come before the conjugated verb: Elle me conseille…

  • moi is the stressed (disjunctive) form, used after prepositions or for emphasis: C’est à moi qu’elle conseille d’attendre.
  • à moi for the indirect object is only used for emphasis/contrast; the neutral form is the clitic me.
Is me a direct or an indirect object here?

Indirect. The pattern with conseiller is: conseiller quelque chose à quelqu’un or conseiller à quelqu’un de + infinitif. Here:

  • me = the person being advised (indirect object).
  • d’attendre = the thing being advised (the content of the advice).
Why is it d’attendre and not just attendre?
Because conseiller takes de + infinitive for the action advised: conseiller de faire. The de elides to d’ before a vowel sound: d’attendre.
Could I say Elle me conseille que j’attende demain?

Not idiomatic. With an explicit indirect object (me), French uses de + infinitive: Elle me conseille d’attendre demain.
Without an indirect object, que + subjunctive is possible but more formal: Elle conseille que j’attende demain. In practice, de + infinitif is the most common.

Is attendre demain correct, or should it be attendre jusqu’à demain?
Both are used. Attendre demain is common and understood as “wait until tomorrow.” Attendre jusqu’à demain is more explicit and can be clearer in careful writing. Avoid attendre pour demain for the meaning “wait until tomorrow.”
What’s wrong with attendre pour demain or attendre à demain?

For “wait until,” French uses jusqu’à, not pour or à.

  • Correct: attendre jusqu’à demain; also fine: attendre demain (elliptical).
  • If you mean “postpone to tomorrow,” use remettre à demain.
Where should demain go in the sentence?

Keep it close to the verb it modifies: Elle me conseille d’attendre demain.
Be careful: Demain, elle me conseille d’attendre means “Tomorrow she advises me to wait,” changing the time of advising, not the waiting. If you want to be crystal clear about the waiting time, use jusqu’à demain.

How do I pronounce the tricky words?
  • Autrement: roughly “o-truh-mahn,” final nasal vowel [ɑ̃].
  • conseille: “kon-SAY” with a glide at the end [sɛj].
  • d’attendre: “da-TAHN-dr(ə)” with nasal [ɑ̃].
  • demain: “də-MEH̃,” often with a schwa in the first syllable and nasal [ɛ̃].
    Keep the French R in autrement and the final consonant in attendre (a light [ʁ]).
What tense is conseille? How would I say it in the past?

Conseille is present indicative (she is advising now or habitually).
Past: Elle m’a conseillé d’attendre demain.
Future: Elle me conseillera d’attendre demain.
Conditional (politer/softer): Elle me conseillerait d’attendre demain.

Is conseiller stronger than suggérer? How about recommander?

Strength and register, roughly:

  • suggérer: soft, a suggestion.
  • conseiller: neutral “advise,” middle strength.
  • recommander: stronger or more formal, often implying authority or strong endorsement. All three typically take de + infinitif when followed by an action.
Does demain need an article? When do I use le lendemain instead?
Demain is an adverb, so no article. In reported/narrative contexts referring to “the next day” relative to a past moment, French usually uses the noun phrase le lendemain (e.g., in indirect speech or storytelling).
Any traps with attendre for English speakers?
Yes—false friend alert. Attendre means to wait (for) or to expect, not to attend. For “attend (an event),” use assister à (e.g., assister à un concert).
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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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