In this example why is the verb to be present? Elle est assise au coin de la cheminée.
Why is être used in this example she is sitting
- « Back to Q&A Forum
- « Previous questionNext question »
Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Why is être used in this example she is sitting
This question relates to:French lesson "À côté de, en face de, à l'extérieur de, à l'intérieur de, près de, loin de, au coin de (French Prepositions)"
Asked 5 years ago
Hi Robin,
In this case 'assis/e' is the adjective describing the action of having sat down and it means she is seated by the fireplace. The problem is that in English you can also use sitting which can convey the action as well as the result of the action.
The verb is simply to be in the present tense .
If she was standing by the chimney it would be similarly -
"Elle est debout au coin de la cheminée."
Not to be confused with "Elle s'asseoit au coin de la cheminée." which would be she is sitting herself down by the fireplace .
Hope this helps!
JoanKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Does it means that s'asseoir emphasis on the action while être assis emphasis on the result? What if I want to say 'After everyone is seated, the show began'? Can both ( s'asseoir and être assis) be used in this sentence?
CécileKwiziq team member
Hi Joan,
It would be -
' Le spectacle commencera quand tout le monde sera assis'
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Ask a question
Find your French level for FREE
Test your French to the CEFR standard
Find your French level