La voiture est en ville.

The car is in the city.

Breakdown of La voiture est en ville.

• être: to be
• en: in
• la ville: the city
• la voiture: the car

Questions & Answers about La voiture est en ville.

Why do we say la voiture instead of une voiture?

la is the definite article (meaning “the”) that refers to a specific or already-known car. Using une (meaning “a”) would sound more general, as if mentioning any random car rather than one that’s identified or understood from context.

How do I pronounce voiture?

French pronunciation of voiture can be broken down roughly as vwah-tur. The voi- sounds like “vwah,” and the -ture part is pronounced with a softer u sound than in English (somewhere between “oo” and “uh”).

Why do we say en ville instead of à la ville?

en ville is a common French expression meaning “in town” or “downtown.” Although à plus an article can sometimes mean “to the city” or “in the city,” the fixed phrase en ville is the typical way to express the idea of being in or going to town. It’s more idiomatic and flows naturally in everyday speech.

Is voiture masculine or feminine in French?

voiture is a feminine noun in French. That’s why you see la voiture (the car) instead of le voiture. French nouns generally don’t have a strict “logical” reason for their gender; they must be memorized.

Why does the sentence use est instead of c’est?