Learn French: Le poisson est très salé et le riz est très épicé. - The fish is very salty and the rice is very spicy.

Le poisson est très salé et le riz est très épicé.

The fish is very salty and the rice is very spicy.

Breakdown of Le poisson est très salé et le riz est très épicé.

Questions & Answers about Le poisson est très salé et le riz est très épicé.

Why do we use très here instead of beaucoup?

We use très (very) because it is describing the adjectives salé (salty) and épicé (spicy). In French, you always use très before an adjective or an adverb. You use beaucoup (a lot / much) when describing an action verb, like Il mange beaucoup (He eats a lot).

Why don't the adjectives salé and épicé have an extra 'e' at the end?

Because they are describing le poisson and le riz, which are both masculine nouns. If you were describing a feminine food, like la soupe (the soup), you would need to add an extra 'e' to make them très salée and très épicée.

Do I pronounce the 's' at the end of très when saying très épicé?

Yes! Normally, the 's' at the end of très is silent. However, because the next word (épicé) starts with a vowel, you connect the words. This is called a liaison, and you pronounce the 's' as a 'z' sound. Note that you don't do this for très salé because salé starts with a consonant.

Are the words salé and épicé related to the French words for salt and spice?