French Phrase
Les conditions dépendent de combien tu empruntes.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘The conditions depend on how much you borrow.’ It is typically used when talking about loan terms, interest rates, or any agreement that varies with the amount of money taken.
When to use
Use this phrase in financial discussions, when explaining loan contracts, or when negotiating the terms of a credit. It works both in informal conversation (with ‘tu’) and in more formal settings (replace ‘tu’ with ‘vous’).
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lesconditionsdépendentdecombientuempruntes.
Subject‑verb agreement
‘Les conditions’ is plural, so the verb uses the 3rd‑person plural form ‘dépendent’.
Preposition de + combien
When ‘combien’ is used as a noun meaning ‘the amount’, it is introduced by the preposition ‘de’ (de combien).
Combien as a noun
Here ‘combien’ does not introduce a question; it functions as a noun phrase meaning ‘the amount’.
Tu + present of emprunter
‘Tu empruntes’ is the present indicative of ‘emprunter’ (to borrow) with the familiar ‘tu’ pronoun.
Verb dépendre
‘Dépendre’ is a regular –re verb; in the present tense it conjugates as je dépends, tu dépends, il/elle dépend, nous dépendons, vous dépendez, ils/elles dépendent.
🗨In Conversation
Je veux un prêt de 5 000 €, mais je ne sais pas quelles seront les conditions.
I want a loan of €5,000, but I don’t know what the conditions will be.
Les conditions dépendent de combien tu empruntes. Plus le montant est élevé, plus le taux d’intérêt peut être avantageux.
The conditions depend on how much you borrow. The higher the amount, the more favorable the interest rate can be.
✕Common Mistakes
Les conditions dépend de combien tu empruntes.
The verb must agree with the plural subject ‘les conditions’, so use ‘dépendent’.
Les conditions dépendent combien tu empruntes.
When ‘combien’ functions as a noun, it needs the preposition ‘de’ before it.
Les conditions dépendent de combien tu prêtes.
‘Prêter’ means ‘to lend’; the correct verb for borrowing is ‘emprunter’.
↔Alternatives
Les conditions varient selon le montant que tu empruntes.
The conditions vary according to the amount you borrow.
Les conditions sont fonction du montant emprunté.
The conditions are a function of the borrowed amount.
Le taux dépend du montant que vous empruntez.
The rate depends on the amount you borrow.
Cultural Tip
In French business or banking contexts, speakers usually switch to the formal ‘vous’ and replace ‘combien’ with ‘le montant’. For example: ‘Les conditions dépendent du montant que vous empruntez.’ Also, note that ‘emprunter’ means ‘to borrow’; the opposite action (to lend) is ‘prêter’. Using the correct verb avoids confusion in financial negotiations.