Learn French: Il a une petite moto. - He has a small motorcycle.

Il a une petite moto.

He has a small motorcycle.

Breakdown of Il a une petite moto.

Questions & Answers about Il a une petite moto.

Why is the word for 'has' just the single letter a?

In French, the verb avoir means 'to have'. For 'he', 'she', or 'it' (using il, elle, or on), the correct form is simply a. So, il a translates exactly to 'he has'.

Doesn't moto end in an 'o'? Why do we use the feminine word une?

Words ending in 'o' are often masculine in French, but moto is a common exception! It is actually short for motocyclette, which is feminine. Because of this, it keeps the feminine gender, so we must say une moto.

Why does the adjective petite come before moto? Don't French adjectives usually go after the noun?

You are right that most French adjectives come after the noun. However, there are a few common exceptions that go before the noun. These are often short adjectives describing Beauty, Age, Goodness, or Size. Since petite describes size, it goes in front of the noun.

Why is there an 'e' at the end of petite?

Adjectives in French must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because moto is a feminine noun, we have to use the feminine form of the adjective. We do this by adding an 'e' to the end of the masculine word petit.