Ils ont des canapés modernes.

Questions & Answers about Ils ont des canapés modernes.

Why does Ils ont sound like it has a Z in it?
Because ont starts with a vowel, the usually silent s at the end of Ils connects to it and makes a Z sound (this is called a liaison). This Z sound is very important because it is the only way to hear the difference between Ils ont (they have) and Ils sont (they are, which makes an S sound).
Why is the word des used here?
In English, you can just say 'modern sofas' without any word before it. In French, nouns almost always need a little word in front of them. Here we use des (the plural of a or an, basically meaning 'some') because we are talking about multiple sofas in general.
Is a canapé a type of food?
Not here! While English borrowed the word canapé to mean a small party snack, in everyday French, un canapé is a sofa or couch.
Why does modernes come after the noun, and why does it have an 's' on the end?
In French, most describing words (adjectives) go after the noun, unlike in English where they go before. Because canapés is plural, we also have to add an s to moderne so they match, even though that final s is completely silent.

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