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To avoid repeating the same statement, idea or opinion more than once, you usually use a pronoun to refer to it in both English and French.
Learn how to use the neuter pronouns le or l' in French
Look at these French sentences:
- Les dauphins sont des mammifères. - Je ne le savais pas.- Dolphins are mammals. - I didn't know that.
- C'est le meilleur candidat. - Tu le penses sincèrement ?- He's the best candidate. - You sincerely think that?
To refer to previously mentioned ideas, opinions and statements, in French you use the neuter pronoun le (or l' in front of a vowel or mute h).
Note that you always use the masculine singular form le or l', even if the idea contains a feminine noun, as it's the whole idea that is considered here.
Case of actions, ideas and statements introduced by an infinitive
Si nous pouvions partir en vacances, nous le ferions tout de suite. If we could go on holiday [US:vacation], we would do it straight away.
Je veux courir dans les champs. Je veux le faire tout le temps.I want to run in the fields. I want to do it all the time.
Note that in many such cases, you add the neutral verb faire to refer to an action.
Attention:
When ideas are introduced by the preposition à, then you use the adverbial pronoun y! See Y can replace à + [thing/object/location] (French Adverbial Pronouns)
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