Breakdown of Quand Paul crie, sa sœur ne cache plus sa colère.
Paul
Paul
quand
when
la sœur
the sister
sa
his
Questions & Answers about Quand Paul crie, sa sœur ne cache plus sa colère.
Why is the present tense used in Quand Paul crie, sa sœur ne cache plus sa colère even though it describes something that seems habitual?
French often uses the simple present to talk about:
- general truths or habits
- repeated or typical behavior
So Quand Paul crie, sa sœur ne cache plus sa colère means:
- Whenever / When Paul shouts, his sister no longer hides her anger.
The French present here corresponds to the English present simple used for habits. There’s no special “habitual” tense; the ordinary present does the job.
What is the role of quand here? Could I use lorsque instead?
Quand introduces a time clause: When / Whenever Paul shouts…
- Quand is the most common everyday word for when (in the sense of at the time that).
- Lorsque can usually replace quand in this kind of sentence and sounds a bit more formal or literary:
Lorsque Paul crie, sa sœur ne cache plus sa colère.
Both are correct. In speech, quand is more frequent.
Why is the word order Quand Paul crie, sa sœur... and not something like Quand crie Paul?