Learn French: J'écris un mot, puis je l'efface. - I write a word, then I erase it.

Écrire (to write) is an irregular verb. Unlike regular -er verbs where the je form ends in "e", irregular verbs like écrire often end in "s" or "x" in the je and tu forms. In the present tense, the pattern is: j'écris, tu écris, il/elle écrit.

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

It stands for le (it), replacing un mot (a word) so you don't have to repeat it. In French, direct object pronouns like le or la go directly before the verb. Because the verb efface starts with a vowel, le drops its "e" and connects to the verb as l'.

Why is it j'écris but je l'efface? Why doesn't je shorten both times?

The word je only shortens to j' when the very next word starts with a vowel or a silent "h". In j'écris, the next word starts with "é", so they connect. In je l'efface, the next word is the pronoun l' (which is a consonant), so je stays whole.

Does un mot always mean "a word"?