Paul a un revenu intéressant.

Paul has an interesting income.

Breakdown of Paul a un revenu intéressant.

• Paul: Paul
• avoir: to have
• intéressant: interesting
• le revenu: the income

Questions & Answers about Paul a un revenu intéressant.

What is the role of a in the sentence "Paul a un revenu intéressant"?

a is the third person singular form of the verb avoir, which means "has". It expresses possession, so the sentence tells us that Paul has an interesting income.

Why is the indefinite article un used before revenu, and what does it tell us about the noun?

In French, un is an indefinite article used with masculine singular nouns. Since revenu (meaning "income") is masculine, un indicates that the sentence refers to an unspecified or general instance of income rather than a specific, previously mentioned one.

What does intéressant mean here, and why is it placed after revenu?

The adjective intéressant translates to "interesting", but in this context it can also suggest that Paul's income is notable or substantial. In French, many adjectives—especially those describing qualities—typically follow the noun they modify, which is why it appears after revenu.

How do adjectives agree with nouns in French, and is intéressant correctly matched with revenu?

French adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in both gender and number. Since revenu is masculine singular, intéressant is also in the masculine singular form, making the agreement correct.

What is the difference between a (without an accent) and à (with an accent) in French?

a (without an accent) is the conjugated form of avoir that means "has", whereas à (with an accent) is a preposition meaning "to" or "at". Using à in this sentence would change its meaning entirely, so it's important to use a when expressing possession.

Is the sentence structure of "Paul a un revenu intéressant" typical of French, and if so, why?

Yes, the structure is typical. French follows a Subject-Verb-Object order for simple statements. Here, Paul is the subject, a is the verb (indicating possession), and un revenu intéressant functions as the object. Additionally, placing the adjective intéressant after the noun is common with descriptive adjectives in French.

Could the sentence be rephrased to convey the same idea in a different way?

Certainly. One alternative is Paul possède un revenu intéressant, where possède (meaning "possesses") replaces a. Both sentences express that Paul has an interesting income, though avoir is more commonly used for possession in everyday French.