Le mot est difficile.

The word is difficult.

Breakdown of Le mot est difficile.

• être: to be
• difficile: difficult
• le mot: the word

Questions & Answers about Le mot est difficile.

Why is the adjective difficile used after est?

In French, when using the verb être (in this case est), the descriptive adjective typically follows it to describe the subject directly. So we have Le mot est difficile, which literally translates to "The word is difficult."

Is est the present tense form of être?

Yes. Est is the third-person singular present tense of être, which means "to be" in English. It corresponds to "he/she/it is" in English.

Why does the sentence use Le instead of Un for "the word"?

Using Le indicates that we are referring to a specific word, or a word already known or mentioned. Un would mean "a word" in a more general sense, without specifying which word.

How do I pronounce difficile correctly?

It has four syllables: dee-fee-seel. The final "e" is not entirely silent; it sounds a bit like the e in "the".