Learn French: Ma sœur est sportive et heureuse. - My sister is athletic and happy.

Ma sœur est sportive et heureuse.

My sister is athletic and happy.

Breakdown of Ma sœur est sportive et heureuse.

Questions & Answers about Ma sœur est sportive et heureuse.

Why is it sportive instead of sportif?

Because it describes Ma sœur (my sister), which is a feminine noun. For adjectives that end in -f in the masculine form (like sportif), you change the -f to -ve to make them feminine.

How does the word heureuse connect to the masculine form heureux?

When a masculine adjective ends in -eux, its feminine form usually ends in -euse. Since we are talking about a female (Ma sœur), the masculine word heureux (happy) changes to the feminine heureuse.

What is the connected "œ" symbol in sœur?

That joined letter is called a ligature. It represents a specific vowel sound, roughly similar to the "ir" in the English word "sir". You will also see it in common French words like cœur (heart) and œuf (egg).

If I am a man, do I still say Ma sœur?

Yes! In French, possessive words like "my" (mon, ma, mes) must agree with the thing being possessed, not the owner. Since sœur is a feminine noun, it is always Ma sœur, regardless of the speaker's gender.