Ils mettent les brouillons sur le bureau.

Questions & Answers about Ils mettent les brouillons sur le bureau.

Why does mettent have two 't's here?
Mettre (to put) is an irregular verb. In the singular forms (je mets, tu mets, il/elle met), it has only one 't' and ends in 'ts' or 't'. But in the plural forms (nous mettons, vous mettez, ils/elles mettent), the double 't' from the infinitive mettre returns.
Do I pronounce the -ent at the end of mettent?
No, the -ent ending on French verbs for ils and elles is always completely silent. You just pronounce the word as if it ended at the second 't', meaning mettent sounds exactly like the singular form met.
How do you pronounce the double 'L' in brouillons?
The -ill- combination in brouillons makes a "y" sound, similar to the 'y' in the English word "yes" or "beyond". It does not make an 'L' sound at all. So, brouillon is pronounced roughly like "broo-yohn".
I learned that bureau means "office". Can it also mean "desk"?
Yes! Bureau can mean both "office" (the room or workplace) and "desk" (the piece of furniture). Context tells you which one it is. Since they are putting drafts sur (on) it in this sentence, it translates to "desk".

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