Learn French: Il a un livre dans la main. - He has a book in his hand.

Il a un livre dans la main.

He has a book in his hand.

Breakdown of Il a un livre dans la main.

Questions & Answers about Il a un livre dans la main.

Why does the French sentence say la main (the hand) instead of sa main (his hand)?

In French, it is more natural to use "the" (le, la, les) instead of possessive words like "my" or "his" for body parts, as long as it's obvious whose body part it is. Since the sentence starts with Il (He), we already know it's his hand.

How do I know main is feminine (la main) when it doesn't end in an "e"?

You've spotted a famous exception! While many French words ending in a consonant are masculine, main (hand) is feminine. It's an irregular word that you just have to memorize as la main or une main.

Wait, I thought livre was feminine. Why is it un livre here?

Livre is a tricky word that changes meaning depending on whether it is masculine or feminine! Un livre (masculine) means "a book". Une livre (feminine) means "a pound" (the unit of weight or the British currency).

Could I use this sentence with parce que (because)?

Absolutely! This sentence makes a great reason to answer a pourquoi (why) question. For example: Pourquoi est-ce qu'il ne t'aide pas ? (Why isn't he helping you?) -> Parce qu'il a un livre dans la main. (Because he has a book in his hand.)