Log inSign up

C'est une romancière douée.

C'est une romancière douée.
She is a gifted novelist.
From Lesson 434:Professions and nationalities (il est / c'est un)·French

Questions & Answers about C'est une romancière douée.

Why do we use C'est here instead of Elle est if we are talking about a specific woman?
When stating someone's profession, you use Il/Elle est if the profession stands alone (like Elle est romancière). But because we added an article (une) and an adjective (douée) to describe her, the rule changes. Whenever a noun is modified by an article, you must use C'est.
Could I directly translate the English and say Elle est une romancière douée?
No, that is a classic mistake. While English says 'She is a gifted novelist,' French strictly pairs C'est with modified nouns. Il/Elle est is reserved for bare, unmodified professions that act almost like adjectives.
How is the feminine noun romancière formed?
Professions ending in -ier in the masculine change to -ière in the feminine. The masculine form here is romancier. Notice that this also changes the pronunciation: the final R is silent in the masculine but fully pronounced in the feminine.
Why does the adjective douée come at the end of the sentence?
In French, most descriptive adjectives like doué(e) (gifted or talented) follow the noun they modify. Only a specific group of common, short adjectives (like bon, petit, or grand) typically come before the noun.

Learn C'est une romancière douée 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 →