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Tu es petit.

Tu es petit.
You are small.
FromLesson 1inHardcore French

Breakdown of Tu es petit.

être
to be
tu
you
petit
small

Questions & Answers about Tu es petit.

Why do we use tu in this sentence instead of vous?
French has two forms of "you": tu (informal or singular familiar) and vous (formal or plural). In this sentence, tu is used to address one person in an informal setting or someone close to you (like a friend or family member).
Why do we say petit and not petite?
In French, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun they describe. Petit is the masculine form, and petite is the feminine form. If you say “tu es petit,” you’re talking to a male or referring to the masculine form. If you wanted to describe a female as short or small, you would use petite.
Why is it tu es and not tu est?
Es is the correct conjugation of the verb être (to be) for tu (second person singular). Est is the third person singular form (il/elle/on est). So when using tu, you must say tu es.
Can we say tu est if we’re emphasizing the word “are”?
No, in French spelling and grammar, tu est is always incorrect. Emphasis in French is usually conveyed through intonation or word order, but you don’t change the spelling of the conjugation.
Does petit only mean physically small?
While petit often refers to physical size (short/small), it can also mean “little” in an abstract sense, such as “insignificant” or “not important,” depending on context. However, in the basic sense, petit is typically about size or stature.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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