why has the sentence "il mâchait la bouche ouverte" not got "with/avec" in there?

James W.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

why has the sentence "il mâchait la bouche ouverte" not got "with/avec" in there?

Asked 3 years ago
CécileKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi James, 

As Maarten and Chris have just said, it is the way we say 'open-mouthed' in French,

la bouche ouverte.

Bonne Continuation!

 

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Just one of those situations where French doesn’t always need a preposition “manger/mâcher la bouche ouverte/(fermé)”. My understanding is it would not be “wrong” to use ‘avec’ but it is not the way it is commonly said in France.

The same is heard in English - “he eats/ chews mouth open” - although less frequently.

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

In English you can do something similar, although you'd use a comma:

He chewed, mouth open, before he took a sip of water.


why has the sentence "il mâchait la bouche ouverte" not got "with/avec" in there?

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