L'inconnu est parfois magnifique.

to be

Breakdown of L'inconnu est parfois magnifique.

• magnifique: beautiful
• parfois: sometimes
• l'inconnu: the unknown

Questions & Answers about L'inconnu est parfois magnifique.

Why is it L’inconnu instead of Le inconnu?

French uses contraction when a word beginning with a vowel (or a silent "h") follows the article le or la. So Le inconnu becomes L’inconnu, improving the flow of speech and avoiding two vowel sounds in a row.

Why is inconnu treated as a noun rather than an adjective here?

When used without a complement, inconnu can function as a noun meaning “the unknown.” In other contexts, it can function as an adjective meaning “unknown,” but here it’s clearly a noun referring to something mysterious or not yet discovered.

How does gender work for L’inconnu?

French nouns each have a grammatical gender. Inconnu is masculine, so it pairs with masculine articles and adjectives. If you were referring to a feminine unknown entity, you would use L’inconnue with feminine agreement.

Why is parfois used, and what are its synonyms in French?

Parfois means “sometimes.” It’s a common adverb of frequency. You may also see synonyms like quelquefois or de temps en temps. They have similar meanings, though parfois is often slightly more formal or written in style than quelquefois.

Why is magnifique placed after est parfois?

In this sentence, magnifique is a predicate adjective linked by the verb est. French typically follows the structure [subject] + est + [adverb] + [adjective]. It sounds natural to keep parfois close to the verb, then finish with the adjective. You could slightly shift the order (e.g., est magnifique parfois), but it’s more common to see parfois right after the verb.