How French works
Dont is one of the hardest things to learn about in French, so don't worry if you find it confusing at first, most English-speaking learners do!
Dont is the equivalent of the relative pronouns of which or whose in English:
La fille dont il est le professeur…
The girl whose teacher he is ...
Paul, dont j'ai acheté la voiture,…
Paul, whose car I bought ...
Dont is also used with all expressions introduced by de (like avoir besoin de), even if there is no of in the English equivalent (like to need):
Le livre dont j’ai besoin…
The book I need…
La chose dont je me souviens le plus…
The thing I remember the most …
Le chien dont les enfants ont peur…
The dog the children are afraid of …
L’affaire dont nous parlons…
The matter we’re talking about …
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