"Your ID papers, someone found them in the lobby."

Translation: Vos papiers, quelqu'un les a trouvés dans le hall.

[jennifuu]

There was an earlier question where quelqu'un wasn't accepted in this way:

Cette maison de vacances, on nous l'a donnée

Anyone have any insight on why it might be «on» in the above but «quelqu'un» here?

[TwoBeersPlease]

I am wondering why "l'hall" isn't accepted, but "le hall" is.
On another phrase, "L'hotel" is correct, but not "Le hotel"
So I am confused

[MikeJarvis4]

Because "hall" has what's known as an "h aspiré". Which means it doesn't elide with le. You just kind of have to memorize that fact. There are other words like this in French too and if you Google "french h aspiré" you can find lists of them.

[MayfieldAlpha]

Thank you both for asking and answering this question, it was puzzling me also!

[iFIREBALL]

Where does "papiers" imply identification?

[Louradour5]

According to this French website https://www.linternaute.fr/dictionnaire/fr/definition/papiers/ it's the same for papers in English, is it right ?

[MikeJarvis4]

Not really so much in at least American English. Except in old cold war movies, "Your papers, please!" Typically with a German or Russian accent.

[BobRobert1]

Hans or Vladimir are always watching.

[Paul_in_Victoria]

I have the same question. Is there a difference in usage between "on" and "quelq'un" for somebody or someone?

[STRADS1551]

Would it be wrong to include "d'identité"? - "Vos papiers d'identité, ..."

[stupefaite]

tes papiers, on les a trouvés dans le hall

accepted

[Sucy-en-Brie94]

Bien sûr

[Arancaytar]

Does "trouvés" always agree with the object plural instead of the subject, or is this a special case?

[MikeJarvis4]

Vos cartes d'identité, on les a trouvées dans le hall. Not accepted. Should it have been or is there something wrong with this?

[Brian826478]

Why "trouvés"? Why not just "trouvé"? I thought that past participle following "avoir" does not necessarily need to reflect the number or gendre?

[Paul_in_Victoria]

Because the object comes before the verb.

[BarbaraSeifert]

I'm wanting TwoBeersPlease question answered as I'm also confused with Le hall and not l'hall. Is there someone out there who knows the answer, please help.

[MikeJarvis4]

Some French words starting with h don't elide with le. "Hall" is one of these words, but it's far from the only one. I think some time ago the h wasn't silent, but now as far as I can hear, it seems to be, and yet they've kept it to be non-eliding. If you Google "french h aspiré" you can read a whole bunch more about these words. It seems you just have to memorize which words starting with h are like this.

[investormom]

Not that I know much but words that start with a silent "h" like hotel et hopital use l', with hall, the h is pronounced so use le or la for those types of words.

[rickmcgrath]

Why not "pièces d'identité"?