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Questions & Answers about Le bus est gratuit.
Why is the definite article le used before bus?
In French, nearly every singular countable noun must be accompanied by an article. Since bus is considered a specific, masculine noun in this context, the definite article le is used—much like saying “the bus” in English.
Why does the word bus remain unchanged even though it’s borrowed from English?
Many English loanwords in French are adopted without major modifications to their spelling while still being assigned a grammatical gender. In this case, bus is treated as a masculine noun, so it integrates naturally into French grammar with the article le and adjectives in their masculine form.
What role does est play in the sentence?
Est is the third person singular present tense form of the verb être (to be). It functions as the linking verb, connecting the subject le bus to the predicate adjective gratuit, thereby stating the condition or quality of the bus.
Why is gratuit positioned after est rather than before bus?
In French, adjectives that serve as predicate adjectives—those that follow a linking verb like être—are placed after the verb. Thus, in the sentence Le bus est gratuit, gratuit follows est to describe the state of the bus, indicating that it is free of charge.
How does gratuit differ from words like libre when expressing the idea of “free”?
While both adjectives can translate as “free” in English, gratuit specifically means “free of charge” (i.e., not costing any money), whereas libre typically denotes freedom in terms of liberty or lack of restriction. In this sentence, gratuit is used to clarify that there is no fee for taking the bus.
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