Question 1

Wait, ouvrir ends in -ir. Shouldn't the 'elle' form end in -it?

Accepted Answer

Ouvrir (to open) is a special irregular verb. Even though it has an -ir ending, it borrows its present tense endings from regular -er verbs. That is why the elle form is ouvre (just like elle mange or elle parle), rather than elle ouvrit.

Question 2

Why does it say de vin and not du vin?

Accepted Answer

This is a strict rule for quantities! When you specify a container or an amount (like une bouteille, a bottle), you always follow it with a plain de (or d' before a vowel). You only use du when you are talking about an unspecified amount of a masculine noun, like if she were just drinking 'some wine' (Elle boit du vin).

Question 3

Since ouvre starts with a vowel, why doesn't Elle get shortened with an apostrophe?

Accepted Answer

The word elle (she) never drops its final -e to combine with the next word. We only use apostrophes (a process called elision) for short words like je, le, la, ne, or me. So it remains two separate words: Elle ouvre.

Question 4

Is there a trick to remembering that bouteille is feminine?

Accepted Answer

Yes! A great rule of thumb is that French nouns ending in a double consonant followed by an -e (like -eille, -ette, or -enne) are almost always feminine. That is why it uses une.

Elle ouvre une bouteille de vin.

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