Learn French: C'est un ami, et ils sont contents. - He is a friend, and they are happy.

C'est un ami, et ils sont contents.

He is a friend, and they are happy.

Breakdown of C'est un ami, et ils sont contents.

être

to be

it / this (with être)

l'ami

the friend (m)

and

Questions & Answers about C'est un ami, et ils sont contents.

Why does the sentence use C'est for 'He is' instead of Il est?

In French, when you say 'He is' or 'She is' followed by a noun with an article (like un ami), you usually use C'est. You use Il est when it is followed by just an adjective, like Il est content (He is happy).

Why is it sont here instead of est?

Sont is the 'they' form of the verb être (to be). Since the subject is ils (they), we must use sont. You use est when the subject is singular, like 'he' or 'she' (il est, elle est).

Does ils mean a group of men, or can it include women?

Ils translates to 'they' and is used for a group of men, but it is also used for a mixed group of men and women. You only use the feminine plural pronoun elles if the group is entirely female.

Why is there an 's' at the end of contents?

In French, adjectives must match the noun or pronoun they describe. Because the subject ils (they) is plural, we have to add an -s to the end of the adjective content to make it plural too.