Breakdown of La cellule est remplie de particules.
être
to be
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
remplir
to fill out / to fill (a container)
la cellule
the cell
la particule
the particle
Questions & Answers about La cellule est remplie de particules.
Why do we use de instead of par to say 'with particles'?
In the passive voice, the agent is usually introduced by par. However, verbs describing a state, condition, or emotion—like being covered, surrounded, or filled (rempli)—use de instead. This highlights the state the cell is in, rather than the physical action of someone filling it.
Why is there no article before particules? Shouldn't it be des particules?
The fixed structure is être rempli de (to be filled with). When the preposition de is followed by a plural noun that would normally take the indefinite article des, the des is simply dropped to avoid saying de des. You just use de followed by the noun, similar to expressions of quantity like beaucoup de.
Why does remplie end with an extra e here?
Because this is the passive voice, the past participle rempli acts like an adjective used with the auxiliary verb être. It must agree in gender and number with the subject. Since la cellule is feminine and singular, we add an e.
Learn La cellule est remplie de particules 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