Log inSign up

Tu as les pieds nus parce que c'est apaisant.

Tu as les pieds nus parce que c'est apaisant.
You have bare feet because it is soothing.
From Lesson 404:Invariable adjectives before nouns (demi, nu)·French

Questions & Answers about Tu as les pieds nus parce que c'est apaisant.

Why does nus have an s here, when I have seen it written as nu-pieds before?
The adjective nu changes its behavior based on its position. When it comes after the noun, as in les pieds nus, it acts like a normal adjective and agrees in gender and number with the noun (masculine plural). If it comes before the noun, it is invariable and joined with a hyphen, like nu-pieds.
Why does the sentence use les pieds (the feet) instead of tes pieds (your feet)?
In French, when talking about body parts, you typically use the definite article (le, la, les) rather than a possessive adjective (mon, ton) if it is obvious whose body part it is. Since the subject is Tu, it is already clear whose feet are bare.
Why is apaisant masculine singular? Shouldn't it agree with les pieds?
The adjective apaisant does not describe the feet themselves; it describes the entire experience of walking barefoot. When using c'est to describe a general idea, situation, or action, the following adjective is always masculine singular.
What verb does apaisant come from?
It is the present participle of apaiser, which means to calm, soothe, or appease. As an adjective, you can use it for anything that brings peace, like a soothing voice (une voix apaisante) or a calming tea (une tisane apaisante).

Learn Tu as les pieds nus parce que c'est apaisant 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 →