Learn Hardcore French: Elle est inquiète aussi; cependant, son mari pense que sa femme et lui ont de la chance aujourd’hui. - She is worried too; however, her husband thinks that his wife and he are lucky today.

Because it’s the feminine form of the adjective inquiet (worried). Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun/pronoun they describe. With elle, you need the feminine singular: inquiète. The accent (è) keeps the vowel sound open. Forms:

masculine singular: inquiet (final -t silent)
feminine singular: inquiète (pronounced with a final -t)
masculine plural: inquiets
feminine plural: inquiètes

Why is it être inquiet/inquiète and not être inquiété(e)?

Inquiet/inquiète is an adjective meaning “worried.” You use it with être to describe a state: Elle est inquiète = She is worried.
Inquiété(e) is the past participle of the verb inquiéter (to worry, to disturb), and it means “worried by someone/something” in a passive sense: Elle est inquiétée par cette nouvelle = She is being worried/disturbed by that news. That’s a different meaning.

Why is aussi placed after the adjective in Elle est inquiète aussi? Could it go elsewhere?

When aussi means “too/as well,” it often comes at the end of the clause: Elle est inquiète aussi. You can also say:

Elle est aussi inquiète (neutral, “she is also worried,” often comparing levels or adding another person/thing)
Elle aussi est inquiète (emphasis on “she, too”) Note: At the very start of a sentence, Aussi can mean “therefore,” and then it triggers inversion: Aussi est-elle inquiète = “Therefore, she is worried.” That’s not the same meaning as “also.”

Is the semicolon before cependant correct? What about punctuation spacing?

Yes. A semicolon (or a period) is idiomatic before a connector like cependant. You could also write: Elle est inquiète aussi. Cependant, son mari…
French typography normally uses a (thin) non‑breaking space before high punctuation like ; : ! ? So the most typographically “French” version is: Elle est inquiète aussi ; cependant, son mari…

What’s the difference between cependant, mais, pourtant, and toutefois?

All express contrast:

mais = “but,” the most common coordinator; joins clauses directly: Elle est inquiète, mais son mari pense…
cependant = “however,” more formal/neutral connector; often after a period/semicolon: … ; cependant, …
pourtant = “yet/still,” often stronger surprise/contradiction: Elle est inquiète ; pourtant, son mari pense…
toutefois = “however/nevertheless,” formal, like cependant.
You can usually swap cependant with pourtant/toutefois depending on tone; mais is the simplest within one sentence.

Why is it son mari and sa femme? Does the possessive agree with the possessor or the thing owned?

French possessive adjectives agree with the gender/number of the thing possessed, not the possessor.

son is used before masculine singular nouns: son mari (her husband/his husband)
sa before feminine singular nouns: sa femme (his wife/her wife)
ses before plural nouns.
Context tells you whose it is (here, clearly “her husband” because the subject is elle).

Why do we say sa femme et lui rather than elle et son mari? Is the order fixed?

The order isn’t fixed. Both sa femme et lui and elle et son mari are acceptable. Writers often choose the order for rhythm or emphasis. Sa femme et lui keeps the pair together from the husband’s point of view (“his wife and he”), which can sound slightly more formal or balanced in French.

Why is it lui and not il in sa femme et lui?

After a conjunction like et when you’re combining with a full noun, French uses the disjunct (stressed) pronouns: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles.
So you say sa femme et lui, not ❌sa femme et il.
Use stressed forms after prepositions, for emphasis, or in coordination.

Why is the verb plural (ont) in sa femme et lui ont?

Because the subject is compound: sa femme et lui = two people. So you need third‑person plural: ils ont → ont. Using singular a would be ungrammatical.

Why ont de la chance and not something like sont chanceux or ont la chance?

The idiomatic way to say “to be lucky” is avoir de la chance (literally, “to have some luck”).
de la is the partitive article (“some”), used because luck is treated as an uncountable quantity here.
avoir la chance de + infinitif is correct when followed by an action: Ils ont la chance de partir = They have the good fortune to leave.
être chanceux/chanceuse exists (and is common in Canada), but in France it can sound less natural; avoir de la chance is the safest choice.
Don’t confuse with Bonne chance ! which is a wish: “Good luck!”

How does negation work with this expression?

With avoir de la chance, negation normally changes the partitive to de:

Ils n’ont pas de chance aujourd’hui. = They aren’t lucky today.
You can add reinforcement: du tout, vraiment pas, etc.

Could we replace sa femme et lui with a pronoun?

Yes: … pense qu’ils ont de la chance aujourd’hui.
Use ils for a mixed‑gender or all‑male group; elles only for all‑female. Here, husband + wife → ils.

Why is it the indicative (ont) after pense que and not the subjunctive?

With verbs of thinking/opinion (e.g., penser, croire), the affirmative usually takes the indicative: Il pense qu’ils ont…
In the negative or interrogative, French often prefers the subjunctive if there’s doubt:

Je ne pense pas qu’ils aient de la chance.
Penses-tu qu’ils aient de la chance ?
That said, the indicative can still appear depending on nuance; the subjunctive signals doubt/subjectivity.

How is aujourd’hui spelled and used?

Spelling: aujourd’hui with an apostrophe; no hyphen, no capital letter in the middle of a sentence.
Etymology: literally “on the day of today” (au jour d’hui).
Placement: it commonly goes at the end of the clause, but you can also place it initially for emphasis: Aujourd’hui, …

Any pronunciation tips for tricky words here?

inquiète: roughly “an-kyet” (nasal “in” + kyet). Masculine inquiet ends without pronouncing the final -t.
cependant: “suh-pahn-dahn,” with nasal vowels.
aujourd’hui: “oh-zhoor-dwee.”
Linking is straightforward here; speak naturally without forcing extra liaisons.

Are there register or synonym nuances for mari and femme?

mari / femme are the common everyday words for “husband/wife.”
More formal: époux / épouse.
So you could write: son époux pense que son épouse et lui ont de la chance, which sounds more formal/legalistic.