Learn Hardcore French: Le flocon est petit.

The sentence translates to "The flake is small." Even though the meaning is already shown to you, knowing the breakdown helps: "le" is the masculine definite article "the," "flocon" means "flake" (often implying a snowflake in context), "est" is the third person singular of "être" (to be), and "petit" means "small."

Why is the adjective "petit" placed after the noun instead of before it?

In French, most adjectives that describe physical characteristics such as size are typically placed after the noun. Here, "petit" comes after "flocon" to follow the customary word order, which differs from English placement.

How does this sentence demonstrate agreement between the noun and the adjective?

The noun "flocon" is masculine singular, and the adjective "petit" is in its corresponding masculine singular form. In French, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, which is why no additional ending is needed for "petit."

What role does the verb "est" play in this sentence?