Learn French: Ta cousine a un joli vélo. - Your cousin has a pretty bike.

Ta cousine a un joli vélo.

Your cousin has a pretty bike.

Breakdown of Ta cousine a un joli vélo.

Questions & Answers about Ta cousine a un joli vélo.

Why is it ta cousine and not ton cousine?

In French, words for "your" have to match the gender of the person or thing being talked about, not the person who "owns" it. Because cousine (female cousin) is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine word for "your", which is ta.

How do I know if cousine is a male or female cousin?

The -e at the end of cousine tells you it refers to a female cousin. A male cousin is cousin (no -e). If you were talking about a male cousin, you would use the masculine word for "your" and say ton cousin.

What does the word a mean in this sentence?

a is the "he/she/it" form of the verb avoir (to have). Here, Ta cousine a means "Your cousin has". Make sure not to confuse it with à (with an accent mark), which means "to" or "at".

Why is joli placed before vélo? Don't French adjectives usually come after the noun?

You are right that most French adjectives go after the noun! However, a few common, short adjectives go before the noun. A helpful trick is the "BAGS" rule: adjectives describing Beauty, Age, Goodness, or Size go before the noun. Because joli (pretty) describes beauty, it goes in front of vélo.