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Marie lit la phrase.

Marie lit la phrase.
Marie reads the sentence.
FromLesson 7inHardcore French

Breakdown of Marie lit la phrase.

Marie
Marie
lire
to read
la phrase
the sentence

Questions & Answers about Marie lit la phrase.

What does the verb lit mean in this sentence?
The verb lit is the third person singular form of lire, which means “to read.” In this context, it means that Marie reads the sentence.
Is lit used in the present tense or the past tense here?
Although lit is identical in form to the passé simple (a literary past tense), in everyday French it is generally understood as the present tense. So in this sentence, it means “reads” rather than “read.”
How does the sentence "Marie lit la phrase" translate into English?
It translates to “Marie reads the sentence.” Here, Marie is the subject, lit is the verb, and la phrase is the object—all in a structure very similar to English.
What role does the article la play in la phrase?
The article la is the feminine singular definite article in French, equivalent to “the” in English. It indicates that a specific sentence is being referred to.
How is the sentence structured compared to typical English sentences?
The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order. Marie is the subject, lit is the verb, and la phrase is the object. This similarity helps English speakers understand the basic structure of a French sentence.
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“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.).

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