French grammar - Verbs of perception and the infinitive |
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There are several very common verbs of perception that do not require a preposition between themselves and the infinitive second verb. Some common verbs of perception are: • sentir - 'to feel' • regarder - 'to watch' • écouter - 'to listen to' • apercevoir - 'to catch a glimpse of' • voir - 'to see' • entendre - 'to hear' The fact that they take the infinitive directly affects the word order. • If the infinitive has no object then its subject can be either side of the infinitive. • But if infinitive has both subject and object then they should be either side of the infinitive. • If the subject of the infinitive is a pronoun and it is the only pronoun in the sentence, then the pronoun should be before all the verbs. |
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Je sens souffler le vent.
I feel the wind blowing.
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Je regarde courir les chevaux.
I see the horses running.
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J'écoute parler les enfants.
I listen to the children talk.
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Je regarde jouer l'équipe.
I watch the team play.
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J'aperçois tomber un arbre.
I see a tree fall.
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J'aperçois un arbre tomber.
I see a tree fall.
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Je vois les enfants manger.
I see the children eating. |
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Je vois manger les enfants.
I see the children eating.
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Je vois les enfants manger du pain.
I see the children eating bread.
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Nous avons vu les arbres perdre leurs feuilles.
We saw the trees losing their leaves. |
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J'entends lire l'histoire.
I hear the story read.
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J'entends un homme lire l'histoire.
I hear a man reading the story.
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Je l'entends lire l'histoire.
I hear him reading the story.
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J'entends les hommes parler.
I hear about men. |
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Je les entends parler.
I hear them talking.
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Elle l'a regardé casser.
She watched it break. |
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Elle a regardé les enfants casser le jouet.
She watched the children break the toy. |
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Elle les a regardés casser le jouet.
She watched them break the toy. |
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Elle les a regardés le casser.
She watched them break it. |
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