Question 1

Why is there a des before filles and garçons? In English we just say 'girls' and 'boys'.

Accepted Answer

In English, we don't need an article before plural nouns when we talk about what people are. But in French, nouns almost always need an article in front of them! Des is the plural of un and une (a/an). So in French, you must literally say 'We are some girls and you are some boys.'

Question 2

Do I pronounce the s at the end of filles and garçons?

Accepted Answer

No, the s that gets added to the end of regular plural nouns is silent in French. When listening, you will know the words are plural because you will hear des before them instead of un or une.

Question 3

Is the s at the end of des pronounced here?

Accepted Answer

Not in this sentence. The s in des is silent because the words that follow it (filles and garçons) start with consonants. If the next word started with a vowel, you would pronounce the s like a 'z' to link the words together.

Question 4

How do you pronounce vous êtes? I hear a 'z' sound.

Accepted Answer

That's right! Normally, the s at the end of vous is silent. But because êtes starts with a vowel, you must link the two words together using a 'z' sound. This connecting sound is called a liaison.

Question 5

Why is there a little hook under the c in garçons?

Accepted Answer

That mark is called a cedilla (cédille). In French, the letter c normally makes a hard 'k' sound when followed by the vowels a, o, or u. The cedilla changes it to a soft 's' sound, so it sounds like 'gar-sohn' instead of 'gar-kohn'.

Nous sommes des filles et vous êtes des garçons.

Breakdown of Nous sommes des filles et vous êtes des garçons.

Questions & Answers about Nous sommes des filles et vous êtes des garçons.

Learn Nous sommes des filles et vous êtes des garçons and more in French