Breakdown of Nous approuvons la résolution.
Questions & Answers about Nous approuvons la résolution.
Why is it approuvons and not approuve or approuvent?
Because the subject is nous, so the verb has to be in the nous form.
The verb is approuver (to approve). In the present tense, it goes like this:
- j’approuve
- tu approuves
- il/elle/on approuve
- nous approuvons
- vous approuvez
- ils/elles approuvent
So Nous approuvons means we approve.
A useful thing to notice is that many regular -er verbs take -ons with nous in the present tense.
Why is nous used here? Could French use on instead?
Yes, very often in everyday French, speakers use on instead of nous to mean we.
So in casual speech, you might hear:
However, nous is more formal or written, and it is very common in official, political, administrative, or formal statements. Since la résolution sounds like something from a formal context, nous fits very naturally here.
So:
- nous = more formal, more explicit
- on = very common in everyday spoken French
What does la do here? Why is it not une résolution?
La is the definite article, meaning the.
French usually requires an article before a noun, where English sometimes does and sometimes does not. Here, la résolution means the resolution, referring to a specific resolution already known from the context.
If you said une résolution, that would mean a resolution, any one resolution, or a new one not yet specifically identified.
So the difference is:
- la résolution = the resolution
- une résolution = a resolution
Why is it la résolution? How do I know the noun is feminine?
Because résolution is a feminine noun in French.
That is why it takes the feminine singular article la:
- la résolution
You generally have to learn the gender of each noun as part of the word. A helpful habit is to memorize nouns with their article:
- la résolution
- le problème
- la décision
Also, many nouns ending in -tion are feminine in French, so résolution fits a very common pattern.
How is Nous approuvons la résolution pronounced?
A careful pronunciation would be approximately:
noo zah-proo-von la ray-zo-loo-syon
A few important points:
- nous sounds like noo
- the s in nous links to the next word because approuvons begins with a vowel sound, so you hear a z sound:
nous approuvons → noo-zapprouvons - approuvons ends with a nasal sound in -ons
- résolution ends with -tion, usually pronounced like syon
So the flow is smooth:
Nous approuvons la résolution
→ noo-zap-roo-von la ray-zo-loo-syon
Is there a liaison in nous approuvons?
Why does approuver have two ps?
That is simply the standard spelling of the verb: approuver.
Many French words beginning with ap- related to Latin roots are spelled with app-, for example:
- appeler
- apporter
- apprendre
- approuver
You do not pronounce both p sounds separately; the double consonant is mainly a spelling feature. It also helps show how the word is built and sometimes affects vowel behavior in related forms.
The important thing for a learner is just to memorize the spelling:
- approuver
- nous approuvons
Is résolution used the same way as English resolution?
Often yes, but context matters.
In French, résolution can mean things like:
- a formal decision or motion, as in politics or meetings
- a solution or determination in a more abstract sense
- a New Year’s resolution: une résolution du Nouvel An
In the sentence Nous approuvons la résolution, the most natural meaning is a formal resolution being approved by a group, committee, assembly, or similar body.
So the word is similar to English, but you still need context to know exactly which kind of resolution is meant.
Can I omit nous and just say approuvons la résolution?
Usually, no.
In French, subject pronouns are normally required, so you usually need:
Unlike Spanish or Italian, French generally does not drop the subject pronoun in ordinary sentences.
There are a few special cases where the subject is omitted, such as:
- commands: Approuvons la résolution. = Let’s approve the resolution.
- notes, headlines, diaries, or very informal shorthand
But as a normal statement meaning we approve the resolution, you should keep nous.
Could this sentence be turned into a question, and how?
Yes. There are several common ways to make it a question.
Est-ce que form:
- Approuvons-nous la résolution ?
- more formal
Rising intonation in speech:
- Nous approuvons la résolution ?
- common in conversation
All three can mean Do we approve the resolution?, but the plain sentence you were given is a statement, not a question.
What tense is this, and does it mean present or something more general?
It is the present tense: le présent.
In English, this can correspond to:
- we approve
- sometimes we are approving, depending on context
- sometimes a general or formal present statement
In a sentence like Nous approuvons la résolution, the present tense most naturally sounds like a current formal action or decision: the approval is happening now, or is being officially stated now.
French uses the present tense quite broadly, so the exact English wording depends on context.
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