Depuis la dispute, ils ne se parlent plus.

Since the argument, they no longer talk to one another.

Breakdown of Depuis la dispute, ils ne se parlent plus.

• ils: they
• depuis: since
• ne ... plus: no longer
• la dispute: the argument

Questions & Answers about Depuis la dispute, ils ne se parlent plus.

Why is depuis used here?

Depuis means since here. It gives the starting point of a situation that began in the past and is still true now.

So Depuis la dispute means since the argument.

This is a little different from après:

• Après la dispute = after the argument
• Depuis la dispute = since the argument, from then until now

The sentence is about an ongoing situation, so depuis is the natural choice.

Does dispute mean the same thing as the English word dispute?

Not exactly.

In everyday French, une dispute usually means an argument, a quarrel, or a fight between people. It often sounds more personal and emotional than the English word dispute, which can sometimes sound formal or abstract.

So here la dispute is best understood as the argument or the quarrel.

Why is there la in la dispute?