Marie est mon amie.

to be

Breakdown of Marie est mon amie.

• Marie: Marie
• mon: my
• l'amie: the friend

Questions & Answers about Marie est mon amie.

Why do we use amie instead of ami in Marie est mon amie?

Because amie is the feminine form of the noun meaning “friend.” Since Marie is female, we use amie (with an –e at the end) rather than the masculine form ami.

Why do we say mon amie instead of ma amie, even though amie is feminine?

French uses mon instead of ma before a feminine noun that starts with a vowel sound. This avoids an awkward combination of vowel sounds. So, we say mon amie.

How is the r in Marie pronounced differently from English?

The French r is a guttural sound produced at the back of the throat, whereas in English, the r is typically pronounced near the front of the mouth. You can practice by slightly growling the r in your throat.

What is the difference between est and est-ce que?

• est simply means “is.” For example, Marie est mon amie translates to “Marie is my friend.”
• est-ce que is used to form questions. For instance, Est-ce que Marie est mon amie ? means “Is Marie my friend?”