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What is the capital of Tunisia?

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What is the capital of Tunisia?

The structure of: d’abord … ensuite

I’d say "d’abord [some content], ensuite [some content]" is also the most common structure in French.

Nevertheless, the structure "[some content] d’abord, ensuite [some content]" is also totally OK. It is mostly used in a literary register.

Both options are found in French. In particular for short item it is perhaps more fequent to find a postponed "d’abord".

(ref., 1994 ) L’enfant d’abord, l’élève ensuite: du mini-tennis … à …

(ref., 2018) Les employés d’abord, les clients ensuite: Comment renverser …

In my opinion, for average length items, the order which conforms with the preferred order in English has also in French a greater expressive import. In any case, the longer the part that is modified by "d’abord" the better it is to place that adverb before.

For short items the order "after" is found to confer to the assertion more pungency, but the reverse order is possible.

  • Ils n’arrivaient pas à comprendre toute la partie qui avait trait à la construction par des bénévoles sans expérience, d’abord, et ensuite ils leur manquait des références.

  • D’abord, ils n’arrivaient pas à comprendre toute la partie qui avait trait à la construction par des bénévoles sans expérience, (et) ensuite ils leur manquait des références. (preferable)

From this Google page the order "before" is more common.

Here is a case with a short content and position of "d’abord" after.

(ref., 2019) Les cités grecques de la province romaine d’Asie ont fondé dès le début de l’Empire des cultes d’Auguste et de sa famille d’abord, de l’ensemble des empereurs ensuite. ("d’Auguste et de sa famille" could have been placed after, however.)

 

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What is the capital of Tunisia?