FR: Où les payez-vous ? - pronom

[CasparWeinburger]

1) Quand vous avez acheté des provisions dans un grand magazin, où les payez-vous?

Should we not refer to /des provisions/ with /en/?: ...où en payez-vous?

[In comparison, we say: Paul a des enfants. Paul en a]

Page 225. Ex.9. . Le Francis Vivant. Stock et al.

 

[Yendred]

les refers to "les provisions que vous avez achetées" hence the definite article.

It's the same in English:
When you buy some food, where do you pay for it? (it = the food you bought)

 

[Maître Capello]

Since you just mentioned the provisions, they are no longer indefinite; they have become definite. You therefore shouldn't use the indefinite pronoun.

PS – The sentence doesn't make much sense because the passé composé avez acheté suggests you have already bought them when paying for them. The verb of the temporal clause should be in the present: quand vous achetez…

EDIT: Cross-posted with Yendred.

 

[CasparWeinburger]

Thank you