Je garde le plan du quartier dans mon sac.

I keep the map of the neighborhood in my bag.

Breakdown of Je garde le plan du quartier dans mon sac.

• je: I
• mon: my
• dans: in
• le sac: the bag
• garder: to keep
• le quartier: the neighborhood
• du: of the
• le plan: the plan

Questions & Answers about Je garde le plan du quartier dans mon sac.

Why is it je garde and not j’ai if the English translation is “I keep the map …”?

French distinguishes more clearly between “to have” and “to keep”:

• avoir = to have, to possess
  
  • J’ai le plan. = I have the map. (It’s in my possession right now.)
• garder = to keep, to hold onto, to look after
  
  • Je garde le plan. = I keep the map / I’m holding on to the map (on purpose).

In Je garde le plan du quartier dans mon sac, the idea is not just that you have it, but that you keep it there intentionally, e.g. “I always keep the neighborhood map in my bag.”

Does je garde mean “I keep” or “I’m keeping”?

It can mean both. French usually uses the simple present where English would use either simple present or present continuous:

• Je garde le plan du quartier dans mon sac.
  → I keep the neighborhood map in my bag. (habit)
  → I’m keeping the neighborhood map in my bag. (current situation)

If you really want to stress “right now, in progress,” you can say:

• Je suis en train de garder le plan.
  But for everyday purposes, je garde covers both English forms.

What’s the difference between un plan and une carte? Both can mean “map,” right?

Yes, both can be translated as “map,” but they’re used in different contexts:

• un plan
  
  • a map of a small or detailed area: a city, a neighborhood, a subway system, a building
  • e.g. un plan de Paris, un plan du métro, un plan du quartier
• une carte
  
  • a map of a larger area: a country, a region, the world
  • e.g. une carte de France, une carte du monde

So le plan du quartier is natural French for “the map of the neighborhood.”
Saying la carte du quartier would sound odd; French speakers expect plan in that context.

Why is it du quartier and not de le quartier?

du is the contraction of de + le:

• de + le = du
• de + la = de la
• de + l’ = de l’
• de + les = des

So:

• le plan du quartier = the map *of the neighborhood
  (*du = of the)

You cannot say ✗ de le quartier; standard French always contracts this to du quartier.

Could I say le quartier plan like in English “neighborhood map”?

No. French does not form noun–noun compounds in the same way English does.
Instead, French usually uses:

[main noun] + de + [complement]

So:

• le plan du quartier = the neighborhood map
  (literally: the map of the neighborhood)

A few “noun + noun” patterns exist (like station-service, chef-lieu), but for things like city map, neighborhood map, train map, French normally uses plan de / du / de la …

Why is it mon sac and not ma sac, even if the speaker is a woman?

In French, possessive adjectives agree with the noun they modify, not with the person who owns it.

• sac is masculine singular, so you must use mon:
  • mon sac = my bag
• If the noun were feminine:
  • ma valise = my suitcase
• If plural:
  • mes sacs = my bags (regardless of gender of sacs)

So a woman also says mon sac, because sac is grammatically masculine.

Why do we use dans in dans mon sac, and not another preposition?

dans usually means “in / inside” a physical space:

• dans mon sac = in my bag (inside it)
• dans ma poche = in my pocket
• dans la voiture = in the car

Other prepositions would change the meaning:

• sur mon sac = on my bag (on the surface)
• sous mon sac = under my bag

Here, the idea is that the map is inside the bag, so dans is the right preposition.

Why is it le plan and not un plan? What’s the difference?

The article changes the nuance:

• Je garde le plan du quartier dans mon sac.

  • I keep *the neighborhood map in my bag.*
  • Refers to a specific map already known in the context (maybe the one everyone uses).

• Je garde un plan du quartier dans mon sac.

  • I keep *a neighborhood map in my bag.*
  • Refers to some map, not a particular one both speakers know about.

In many real situations either could work, but le plan implies that the speaker and listener have a particular map in mind.

Could I say le plan de mon quartier instead of le plan du quartier?

Yes, but the meaning shifts slightly:

• le plan du quartier

  • the map of *the neighborhood*
  • Focuses on that specific neighborhood, context-dependent (for example, the one you’re currently in).

• le plan de mon quartier

  • the map of *my neighborhood*
  • Emphasizes your personal neighborhood, where you live.

So:

• Tourist in a city: Je garde le plan du quartier dans mon sac.
• Talking about your own area: Je garde le plan de mon quartier dans mon sac.

Can I move dans mon sac earlier in the sentence, like in English “In my bag, I keep the map…”?

Yes, but word order in French is a bit less flexible than in English. The most neutral order is:

• Je garde le plan du quartier dans mon sac.
  (Subject – Verb – Object – Place)

You can say:

• Je garde dans mon sac le plan du quartier.
  
  • This is grammatically correct but sounds a bit more emphatic/stylized.

Or, for strong emphasis:

• Dans mon sac, je garde le plan du quartier.
  
  • Similar to English “In my bag, I keep the neighborhood map.”
  • This highlights “in my bag” as the important information.

How do you pronounce Je garde le plan du quartier dans mon sac?

Approximate pronunciation (in IPA):

• Je garde → /ʒə ɡaʁd/
• le plan → /lə plɑ̃/
  
  • plan has a nasal vowel: the n isn’t fully pronounced; it makes the ɑ̃ sound.
• du → /dy/
• quartier → /kaʁ.tje/
  
  • stress is light on the last syllable: -tier.
• dans mon sac → /dɑ̃ mɔ̃ sak/
  
  • dans also has a nasal vowel /ɑ̃/; the s is silent.
  • mon = /mɔ̃/, another nasal vowel.
  • final c in sac is pronounced: /sak/.

Said at a natural speed, you’ll hear some linking:

/ʒə ɡaʁd lə plɑ̃ dy kaʁtje dɑ̃ mɔ̃ sak/