# EN: répondre à - answer / reply to



## Kaoutch

Hi,

Can you telle me if the sentence "You haven't answered to my question" is correct or if we MUST say "you haven't answered my question".

Thanks a lot !

S.P


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## wildan1

_to answer_ is takes a direct object in English: _You haven't answered my question.
_
(_to reply_ takes an indirect object with _to_: _You haven't replied to my question._)


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## moustic

Kaoutch said:


> "You haven't answered to my question"
> "you haven't answered my question".
> 
> S.P


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## atcheque

wildan1 said:


> _to answer_ is transitive in English: _You haven't answered my question.
> _
> (_to reply_ is intransitive: _You haven't replied to my question._)



Hi,

Wildan, I would say both *are* transitive, one _direct_ and the other _indirect_ (with preposition).


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## OLN

atcheque said:


> I would say both *are* transitive, one _direct_ and the other _indirect_ (with preposition).


I tend to agree. They both take an object.


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## Tazzler

That's not traditionally how English grammatical analysis has been done. That's more French-style analysis. I'm not saying it's wrong since to me both languages use similar, if not identical syntax in some places, but how speakers analyze their language has traditionally been different.


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## Kaoutch

Thanks a lot, but can you tell me why it is mentionned :



*answer to* _vtr_(respond to)répondre à _vtr_


in the Wordreference dictionary ?


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## wildan1

The dictionary goes on to be very specific with each entry. See this one:



*answer to* _vtr phrasal insep_(be accountable to: a superior)répondre à _vtr_


Your question was about _répondre à une question_… and you received answers according to that context, kaoutch.


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## merquiades

1) I'm not sure what is transitive or intransitive in this case, but it's just a case of memorization of what needs a preposition...  It's hard to explain why certain verbs use prepositions or not.  Often the usage does not coincide between English and French.

2) "to answer a question" (not constructed with "to"), same case with "to phone", "to explain" and "to obey.  No preposition is used in English

3)  to reply to, to respond to, to listen to (these, however, are constructed with "to" in English)

4)  There is another very different meaning of "answer" that does require the preposition "to":  You'll have to answer to your boss.  You'll answer to you father for what you did.  I only answer to my God.
Here it means to be held responsible, to be accountable to someone for something.  
That's why (unfortunately) you see it on those verb lists people memorize in France.  
It does not mean "to give an answer", the most common meaning of "answer", or have anything to do with that meaning.


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## bazalpin

merquiades said:


> 1)
> 4)  There is another very different meaning of "answer" that does require the preposition "to":  You'll have to answer to your boss.  You'll answer to you father for what you did.  I only answer to my God.
> Here it means to be held responsible, to be accountable to someone for something.



Yes in this case in French we use _répondre_ as well but with another préposition: _de_
_Répondre de ses actes_


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## merquiades

bazalpin said:


> Yes in this case in French we use _répondre_ as well but with another préposition: _de_
> _Répondre de ses actes_



Ok, thanks.  That makes for a good contrast in both languages!


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## Tazzler

bazalpin said:


> Yes in this case in French we use _répondre_ as well but with another préposition: _de_
> _Répondre de ses actes_



"de" is the equivalent of "for" but what would the equivalent of "to" be? "devant"?


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## merquiades

It would be "faire répondre quelqu'un de ses actes".  Otherwise yes it can be "devant":  "Répondre de ses actes devant son créateur".


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## bazalpin

yes _devant_, you are absolutely right

_Also in order to be clear
_


> You'll have to answer to your boss. .



Tu en répondras devant ton patron.


> You'll answer to you father for what you did


Tu répondras de ce que tu as fait devant ton père.


> I only answer to my God


J'en réponds seulement devant [mon] Dieu.


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## Kaoutch

Thanks a lot ; that's much more clear to me.

Have a great new year 2013 !


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