Question 1

Why is chaise feminine?

Accepted Answer

In French, nouns are divided into grammatical genders, either masculine or feminine. Chaise happens to be a feminine noun. Although there are some patterns, many cases must be memorized. With practice, you’ll remember that chaise is always used with the feminine article la.

Question 2

How do I pronounce the end of chaise?

Accepted Answer

In chaise, the final -se is pronounced like the 'z' sound in the English word buzz: “shez.” Make sure to keep the vowel ai sounding like the 'ɛ' in bed or let, and then add the 'z' sound.

Question 3

Does confortable change depending on the noun’s gender?

Accepted Answer

In French, many adjectives need to agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. However, confortable has the same spelling for masculine (e.g., Le canapé est confortable.) and feminine forms (e.g., La chaise est confortable.). The pronunciation also stays the same.

Question 4

Should I use le or la for chaise?

Accepted Answer

Because chaise is feminine, you must use la. If it were masculine, you would use le, but that is not the case here.

Question 5

When should I use est in a sentence?

Accepted Answer

Est is the third-person singular present tense of être (to be). You use it when referring to “he is,” “she is,” or “it is.” In this sentence, la chaise is treated as elle (she), so you use est just like you would say she is in English.

La chaise est confortable.

Breakdown of La chaise est confortable.

Questions & Answers about La chaise est confortable.

Master French — from La chaise est confortable to fluency