Le prix du kilowattheure est élevé.

The price of a kilowatt-hour is high.

Breakdown of Le prix du kilowattheure est élevé.

• être: to be
• élevé: high
• le prix: the price
• le kilowattheure: the kilowatt-hour

Questions & Answers about Le prix du kilowattheure est élevé.

Why is it du kilowattheure and not de le kilowattheure?

Because du is the contraction of de + le.

• de + le = du
• So le prix du kilowattheure literally has the structure the price of the kilowatt-hour

French normally uses this contraction automatically:

• de le livre → du livre
• de le café → du café

But:

• de la stays de la
• de l' stays de l'
• de les becomes des

Why does the sentence start with Le?

French often uses the definite article where English may use a more general expression.

So Le prix du kilowattheure est élevé is a normal way to talk about the price of the kilowatt-hour in general, not necessarily one specific price in one specific bill.

This is very common in French:

• Le café est cher.
• La vie est belle.
• Le temps passe vite.

English sometimes drops the article in broader statements, but French usually keeps it.

Is prix singular or plural here? It looks like it ends in -x.