Breakdown of Paul sait comment réagir calmement.
Paul
Paul
calmement
calmly
comment
how
savoir
to know
réagir
to react
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Questions & Answers about Paul sait comment réagir calmement.
Why is it "sait" and not "connaît"?
Use savoir with clauses and infinitives (knowing facts/how to do something); use connaître with nouns/pronouns (being familiar with someone/something). So: Paul sait comment réagir calmement is correct; Paul connaît comment réagir is incorrect. But you can say Paul connaît la bonne réaction.
Do I need "comment"? Can I say "Paul sait réagir calmement"?
Yes, Paul sait réagir calmement is perfectly natural and slightly more concise. Adding comment emphasizes the idea of “how” and mirrors English “knows how to,” but it’s not required.
Why isn’t there an "à" before "réagir"? I thought it was "réagir à".
Réagir takes à when you specify what you react to: réagir à une critique. Here, it’s an infinitive clause about manner—comment réagir—with no object, so no à. You can combine both: Paul sait comment réagir calmement à une critique.
Where should the adverb "calmement" go? Could it come before the verb?
Default placement is after the verb: réagir calmement. Alternatives: réagir avec calme or réagir de manière calme (more formal). Fronting (calmement réagir) is possible but stylistic/literary; avoid it in everyday speech.
Is there any difference between "agir" and "réagir" here?
Yes. Agir = to act; réagir = to react (act in response to something). Paul sait agir calmement is more general; Paul sait réagir calmement focuses on responding to situations.
Could I say "Paul sait comment il doit réagir calmement"?
It’s grammatical but clunky. Prefer Paul sait comment réagir calmement or, if you want a finite clause, Paul sait comment il doit réagir (often dropping the adverb).
How do I negate this sentence?
Standard: Paul ne sait pas comment réagir calmement. In casual speech, ne often drops: Paul sait pas comment réagir calmement.
How would I say it in the past or future?
- Imperfect (used to/ongoing): Paul savait comment réagir calmement.
- Passé composé (learned/figured out at a point): Paul a su comment réagir calmement.
- Future: Paul saura comment réagir calmement.
Is "comment + infinitive" a general pattern?
Yes. After verbs like savoir, expliquer, montrer, dire, use comment + infinitif to mean “how to …”: Je sais comment le faire, Elle m’a montré comment ouvrir le fichier, Dis-moi comment y aller. You can also use a finite clause: Je sais comment il faut faire.
Can I use "quoi" instead of "comment"?
No. Comment = how (method). Quoi = what (thing). Compare: Paul sait quoi faire (He knows what to do) vs Paul sait comment réagir (He knows how to react).
Could I use "peut" instead of "sait"?
Paul peut réagir calmement = he is able to/can react calmly (ability/possibility). Paul sait réagir calmement = he knows how to react calmly (skill/know-how), often implying learned technique.
Pronunciation tips?
- sait sounds like c’est ([sɛ]); the final -t is silent.
- comment ≈ [kɔ-mɑ̃] (nasal vowel at the end).
- réagir ≈ [ʁe.a.ʒiʁ] (three syllables; soft g = [ʒ]).
- calmement ≈ [kal.mə.mɑ̃] (schwa in the middle; nasal -ment). No liaison between comment and réagir (the next word starts with a consonant sound).
Are there any agreement or gender issues here?
No. Calmement is an adverb (invariable). Sait is third-person singular to match Paul.