Learn French: Parce que le chef est absent aujourd'hui.

Parce que le chef est absent aujourd'hui.

Because the boss is absent today.

Breakdown of Parce que le chef est absent aujourd'hui.

the boss / the manager

aujourd'hui

today

Questions & Answers about Parce que le chef est absent aujourd'hui.

Can I start a sentence with parce que just like we do with "because" in English?

Yes! Just like in English, you can use parce que at the beginning of a sentence to directly answer a pourquoi (why) question. For example, if someone asks "Why is the office closed?", you can answer simply with "Parce que le chef est absent" (Because the boss is absent).

Doesn't chef mean a cook? Why does it translate to "boss" here?

In French, un chef simply means a "boss", "leader", or "chief" of any kind, not just in a kitchen! If you specifically want to talk about a professional cook, you would usually say un cuisinier or un chef de cuisine. Here, it just means the manager or boss at work.

Why does aujourd'hui have an apostrophe in the middle of it?

Aujourd'hui is the French word for "today". Historically, it was a mash-up of several older words meaning "on the day of today", which is why it looks a bit complicated and has an apostrophe. For now, it is best to just memorize it as a single vocabulary word!

Is absent used exactly the same way it is in English?

Yes, it is spelled the same and means the same thing, but it is pronounced differently (the final "t" is silent). Also, because it is an adjective, it has to match the person it describes. If the boss were a woman (la cheffe), we would add an "e" to make it feminine: absente (and then you would pronounce the "t" sound).