Learn French: J'aime ce jean, je l'achète. - I like these jeans one pair, I am buying them.

J'aime ce jean, je l'achète.

I like these jeans (one pair), I am buying them.

Breakdown of J'aime ce jean, je l'achète.

Questions & Answers about J'aime ce jean, je l'achète.

Why is it ce jean (singular) when the English translation says "these jeans" (plural)?

In French, a pair of jeans is treated as a single item: un jean. Because it is a masculine singular noun, we use the masculine singular word ce (meaning "this" or "that"). In English, we think of it as plural ("these jeans"), which makes this a common trap!

What does the l' in je l'achète stand for?

The l' is a direct object pronoun replacing ce jean. Because jean is masculine singular, the pronoun is normally le (meaning "it"). However, since the verb achète starts with a vowel, le drops its "e" and becomes l'.

Why is there a grave accent in achète but not in the dictionary form acheter?

Acheter (to buy) is a stem-changing verb. When the conjugation stresses the syllable with the first "e" (like with je, tu, il/elle, and ils/elles), that "e" changes to è so that it sounds like "eh". You do not use the accent in the nous and vous forms.

If I wanted to ask "Which jeans are you buying?", which form of quel would I use?