Learn French: Il écrit un e-mail avec le clavier. - He writes an e-mail with the keyboard.

Il écrit un e-mail avec le clavier.

He writes an e-mail with the keyboard.

Breakdown of Il écrit un e-mail avec le clavier.

Questions & Answers about Il écrit un e-mail avec le clavier.

Why does écrit end in a "t"? Is it a regular verb?

Écrire (to write) is an irregular verb. For the il (he), elle (she), and on (we/one) forms in the present tense, it ends in -t: il écrit. Watch out for the plural forms, which add a "v", like nous écrivons (we write) and ils écrivent (they write).

Do I pronounce the "t" at the end of écrit?

Usually, the t at the end of écrit is silent. But here, because the next word (un) starts with a vowel, you make a liaison. You carry the "t" sound over to the next word, making it sound like "il écrit-tun e-mail".

Is it normal to use the English word e-mail in French?

Yes! Un e-mail (or just un mail) is extremely common in everyday spoken French, especially in France. You might also see un courriel, which is the official French term and is heavily used in Canada or in formal situations.

Why does the sentence say avec le clavier (with the keyboard) instead of "on the keyboard"?

In English, we type "on" a keyboard, but French treats the keyboard as the physical tool you are using to write. Just like you would write with a pen (avec un stylo), you write with the keyboard (avec le clavier).