Questions & Answers about En général, la roche, c'est rugueux.
Why is it rugueux (masculine) when la roche is feminine?
When you make a general statement using c'est, the adjective that follows is always masculine singular, even if the noun it refers to is feminine or plural. Because we are talking about rock as a general concept here, the adjective stays invariable as rugueux. Why do we use the [Noun], c'est... structure instead of just saying la roche est rugueuse?
The structure [Noun], c'est [adjective] is widely used in everyday French to express general truths or opinions. If you said la roche est rugueuse, it would sound like you are describing one specific rock you are looking at or touching, rather than the material in general. What is the difference between la roche, le rocher, and la pierre?
La roche refers to the material or substance of rock in a broad or geological sense. Un rocher is a large boulder or a distinct mass of rock on the landscape, while une pierre is a smaller stone that you could easily pick up. What is the feminine form of rugueux if we were describing a specific rock?
If you were describing a specific feminine noun without using the general c'est, the masculine ending -eux changes to -euse. For example, if you were holding a specific rough stone, you would say la pierre est rugueuse. Learn En général, la roche, c'est rugueux and more in French
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