Log inSign up

L'alliage de cette devise est très rare.

L'alliage de cette devise est très rare.
The alloy of this currency is very rare.
From Lesson 328:Dubious pretexts (sous prétexte que)·French

Questions & Answers about L'alliage de cette devise est très rare.

Why does devise mean "currency"? I thought it meant "device".
Devise is a classic false friend! In French, une devise usually means "a currency" (especially a foreign one) or "a motto" (like the famous "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité"). If you want to say "a device" in French, you would use un appareil or un dispositif.
How can I easily remember the gender of alliage?
Un alliage (an alloy) is masculine. You can safely guess this because almost all French nouns ending in -age are masculine. There are only a few common exceptions to this rule, such as une image, une page, and une plage.
Why do we use de instead of dans to say "the alloy in this currency"?
While an English speaker might naturally say "the alloy in this currency," French uses de (of) here. This is because de expresses that the alloy is an inherent characteristic belonging to that specific coin, rather than just a physical object resting inside of it.

Learn L'alliage de cette devise est très rare and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →