Question 1

Why is there an "L'" before "ennui" if the English translation just says "Boredom"?

Accepted Answer

In French, abstract nouns and general concepts like ennui (boredom) require a definite article (le, la, or l' before a vowel). You can't just start the sentence with Ennui est... like you do in English.

Question 2

Since "problème" ends in an "e", shouldn't it be feminine and use "sa" instead of "son"?

Accepted Answer

It is a very common trap! Problème is actually a masculine noun. That is why it uses the masculine possessive adjective son. Many French words ending in -ème (like le système or le thème) are masculine because of their Greek origins.

Question 3

How does "son plus grand" translate to "his biggest"?

Accepted Answer

To make a superlative (the biggest, the most, etc.) in French, you use a definite article or a possessive adjective followed by plus (more) or moins (less). Here, son (his) + plus grand (bigger) combines to mean "his biggest".

Question 4

Why does "grand" come before "problème"? I thought adjectives usually go after the noun.

Accepted Answer

Most French adjectives do follow the noun, but short, common adjectives that describe Beauty, Age, Goodness, or Size (often remembered by the BAGS acronym) come before it. Since grand describes size, it goes before problème.

Question 5

This lesson is about expressions of emotion. Does the feeling of "ennui" trigger the subjunctive here?

Accepted Answer

Not in this sentence! While ennui (boredom) is a feeling, the subjunctive is only triggered when you have a phrase expressing an emotion about another subject's action, usually followed by que (such as Il est triste que...). Here, l'ennui is just a noun acting as the subject of a factual statement, so we use the regular present indicative verb est.

L'ennui est son plus grand problème.

Breakdown of L'ennui est son plus grand problème.

Questions & Answers about L'ennui est son plus grand problème.

Learn L'ennui est son plus grand problème and more in French