…
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning FrenchMaster French — from Le mot est difficile to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
More from this lesson
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".