Le calcaire est une roche, c'est poreux.

Questions & Answers about Le calcaire est une roche, c'est poreux.

Why is it c'est poreux instead of elle est poreuse to agree with une roche?
In French, when you make a general statement about a category or substance using c'est, the adjective that follows is always masculine singular. Even though une roche is feminine, we use the masculine poreux rather than poreuse because we are generalizing about limestone as a material.
Why do we use Le calcaire here when the English translation just says "Limestone"?
When talking about materials, substances, or concepts in a general sense, French requires the definite article (le, la, or les). English often drops the article for generalizations, but in French, you must say le calcaire to mean limestone in general.
Does the -x on poreux mean it is plural here?
No. Adjectives ending in -eux (like poreux, heureux, dangereux) have the exact same spelling for both masculine singular and masculine plural. Because it follows c'est for a general statement, it is grammatically masculine singular here.
Could I say il est poreux instead of c'est poreux?
If you said il est poreux, it would refer back to a specific piece or instance of le calcaire, rather than making a sweeping statement about the nature of the rock itself. Using c'est sounds more natural here to express a universal characteristic of the material.

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