La valise coûte quarante euros.

From Lesson 29:Numbers 21 to 100·French

Breakdown of La valise coûte quarante euros.

la valise
the suitcase
coûter
to cost
l'euro
the euro (m)
quarante
forty

Questions & Answers about La valise coûte quarante euros.

Do numbers like quarante change depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine?
No. Unlike adjectives, almost all French numbers are invariable, meaning they never change their spelling to match the gender or plural of the noun. Whether it is 40 suitcases or 40 books, it is always quarante.
How do I pronounce quarante euros together?
In the word quarante, the final e is silent, leaving a hard 't' sound at the end. When followed by a word starting with a vowel like euros, that 't' links directly to the next word. It flows smoothly together and sounds like "ka-rahn-teu-ro".
Does the word euro always get an s when it is more than one?
Yes! In French, currency names act like regular nouns. Since forty is more than one, you add an s to make it euros. However, the s is silent, so singular euro and plural euros sound exactly the same.
Why does the verb coûte end in -e here?
Coûte comes from the regular -er verb coûter (to cost). Since la valise (the suitcase) is a singular object, it acts as a third-person singular subject (just like "he", "she", or "it"). For regular -er verbs, that ending is always -e.

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