Learn French: Portent-elles des chaussures turquoise pour le match ? - Are they wearing turquoise shoes for the match?

Portent-elles des chaussures turquoise pour le match ?

Are they wearing turquoise shoes for the match?

Breakdown of Portent-elles des chaussures turquoise pour le match ?

des

some (plural indefinite)

Questions & Answers about Portent-elles des chaussures turquoise pour le match ?

Why doesn't turquoise have an s at the end to match chaussures?

turquoise is a color adjective derived from a noun (the turquoise gemstone). In French, colors that come from nouns, like marron or orange, are invariable, meaning they never change to match gender or number.

Are there any exceptions to this rule about colors derived from nouns?

Yes! The most common exceptions are rose (pink), mauve (light purple), and fauve (tawny). Even though they are derived from nouns, they act like normal adjectives and take an s in the plural, like in des chaussures roses.

How is Portent-elles pronounced here?

The ent ending on the verb Portent is usually silent. However, because it is connected to the vowel starting elles with a hyphen for a question, you must pronounce the t. It blends together to sound like "port-tell".

Is Portent-elles the most natural way to ask this question?

It is the formal way to ask, using subject-verb inversion. In spoken, everyday French, you are much more likely to hear Elles portent des chaussures turquoise ? using just your voice going up at the end, or Est-ce qu'elles portent des chaussures turquoise ?.