Il monte rapidement l'escalier.

He climbs the stairs quickly.

Breakdown of Il monte rapidement l'escalier.

• il: he
• l'escalier: the staircase
• monter: to climb
• rapidement: quickly

Questions & Answers about Il monte rapidement l'escalier.

Why does the sentence use monte instead of monter?

Monte is the conjugated form of the verb monter for the third person singular (il/elle/on) in the present tense. In French, when you say someone goes up or ascends something, you use the conjugated form, not the infinitive.

Why is there a definite article (l’escalier) instead of saying something like un escalier?

In French, the definite article (le, which becomes l’ before a vowel) is often used when referring to something specific or already known. Here, l’escalier suggests the staircase in question—probably a specific one the speaker has in mind or the only one present.

Could we replace rapidement with vite, and would it mean the same thing?

Rapidement and vite are both adverbs indicating speed. While vite is more colloquial and often heard in everyday speech, rapidement is slightly more formal. Both forms, Il monte vite l’escalier and Il monte rapidement l’escalier, are correct and would be understood similarly.

Can rapidement be placed elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. In French, adverbs can typically appear before or after the verb, or even at the end of the sentence. You might see Il monte l’escalier rapidement or Il monte rapidement l’escalier. Both placements are grammatically correct, but the emphasis might feel slightly different.

Why is no preposition used between monte and l’escalier?

In French, certain verbs describing movement often take a direct object without a preposition. For monter, when you talk about going up something like a staircase, it’s treated as a direct object. So, you simply say monter l’escalier rather than using a preposition.