English Translation
This old house is ours.
I was curious why it’s “est la nôtre” and not “est à nous” and this is what Gemini said:
- Cette vieille maison est à nous.
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Translation: “This old house belongs to us.”
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The Construction: Être + à + [Stress Pronoun] (moi, toi, lui, nous, vous, eux).
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The Vibe: This is the standard, neutral way to express ownership in French.
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When to use it: When you are simply stating a fact.
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Example: You are walking past the house with a friend and point to it. “Tu vois ? Cette vieille maison est à nous.”
- Cette vieille maison est la nôtre.
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Translation: “This old house is ours.”
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The Construction: Être + [Possessive Pronoun] (le mien, le tien, le nôtre, etc.).
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The Vibe: This is emphatic, literary, or used to make a distinction. It highlights “ours” to contrast it with someone else’s.
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When to use it: When you need to distinguish your house from a neighbor’s, or you are writing a novel.
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Example: “See that brick house? That is the neighbor’s. But this old house… this one is ours (celle-ci est la nôtre).”