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Elle étend le linge sur le balcon quand il fait beau.

Elle étend le linge sur le balcon quand il fait beau.
She hangs the laundry on the balcony when the weather is nice.
FromLesson 24inHardcore French

Breakdown of Elle étend le linge sur le balcon quand il fait beau.

elle
she
sur
on
quand
when
le balcon
the balcony
étendre
to hang
le linge
the laundry
beau
nice

Questions & Answers about Elle étend le linge sur le balcon quand il fait beau.

What does étend mean here? Does it literally mean extend?
No. It’s from étendre, which here means “to hang out” or “to spread out” laundry so it can dry. The set phrase is étendre le linge. Don’t confuse it with the reflexive s’étendre (“to lie down,” “to stretch out oneself”).
Why is there no final -s in elle étend?

Because étendre is a regular -re verb (like attendre): the 3rd person singular doesn’t end in -s.

  • j’étends
  • tu étends
  • il/elle/on étend
  • nous étendons
  • vous étendez
  • ils/elles étendent
Could I say elle pend le linge instead of elle étend le linge?
You might hear pendre le linge in some regions (and accrocher le linge as well), but in standard French the most common idiomatic choice for hanging laundry to dry is étendre le linge. Also note pendre can have the strong meaning “to hang (someone),” so étendre avoids that ambiguity.
Why le linge and not son linge or des vêtements?
  • le linge = “the laundry/linens” in general (towels, sheets, clothes, etc.). Using the definite article often expresses a habitual activity.
  • son linge would highlight that it’s her own laundry; it’s fine if that’s what you want to stress.
  • des vêtements means “clothes” and excludes items like towels or sheets.
  • Related word: la lessive = “the laundry (as a chore)” or “laundry detergent” (context decides), as in faire la lessive.
Is linge countable? Can I say les linges?
Linge is usually a mass noun (uncountable). You’d say du linge, le linge. The plural les linges is rare in France and tends to appear regionally or in fixed expressions (e.g., linge de toilette for towels/washcloths). For specific items, name them: des draps (sheets), des serviettes (towels), des vêtements (clothes).
Why sur le balcon and not au balcon or dans le balcon?
  • sur le balcon = “on the balcony” (on its surface/space), which is what you want for placing objects there.
  • au balcon is used more for people’s location (“Elle est au balcon”) or in a theatre (“au balcon” = “in the balcony”). It’s not the natural choice for putting items there.
  • dans le balcon is unidiomatic; a balcony isn’t conceived as an enclosed interior.
What gender are balcon and linge?
Both are masculine: le balcon, le linge.
Can I move the quand clause to the front?

Yes. Both are fine:

  • Elle étend le linge sur le balcon quand il fait beau.
  • Quand il fait beau, elle étend le linge sur le balcon. (Use a comma after the fronted clause.)
Why il fait beau and not something with être like il est beau?
French generally uses faire for weather: il fait beau, il fait chaud/froid. Il est beau usually describes a person (“he is handsome”). You can say le temps est beau (“the weather is fine”), but the idiomatic everyday weather report is il fait beau.
Does quand take the subjunctive?
No. Quand uses the indicative: quand il fait beau. The subjunctive follows conjunctions of doubt/necessity/purpose like bien que, pour que, avant que, etc., not quand.
How do I say it about the future?

Use the future in both clauses in French:

  • Quand il fera beau, elle étendra le linge sur le balcon.
How do I say it about the past?

For a completed action with background weather:

  • Elle a étendu le linge sur le balcon quand il faisait beau. Passé composé (a étendu) for the action; imparfait (faisait) to describe the background weather.
If le linge is already known, how do I replace it with a pronoun?

Use the direct object pronoun le, which becomes l’ before a vowel:

Any pronunciation tips?
  • Elle étend: link smoothly: “ell-étan.” Final -d in étend is silent; -en/-an gives a nasal vowel.
  • le linge: “luh lanj” [lɛ̃ʒ] (the -ge before e/i = “zh”).
  • sur le balcon: “syr luh balkon” [syʁ lə balkɔ̃] (final -n in balcon is nasal, not pronounced).
  • quand: “kan” [kɑ̃] (nasal vowel).
  • il fait beau: “eel fe bo” [il fɛ bo] (final -t in fait is silent).
Can I use lorsque instead of quand?

Yes. Lorsque is a bit more formal/literary but often interchangeable:

  • Lorsqu’il fait beau, elle étend le linge sur le balcon. Write the elided form lorsqu’il before a vowel sound.
What’s the difference between il fait beau, il fait bon, and il y a du soleil?
  • il fait beau: the weather is nice/beautiful overall.
  • il fait bon: it feels pleasantly warm/mild (focus on comfort).
  • il y a du soleil: it’s sunny (focus on sunshine). In Canada you may also hear il fait soleil.
Can I say dehors instead of sur le balcon?

Yes, if you want to say “outside” without specifying where:

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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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