Le chien est fidèle.

to be

Breakdown of Le chien est fidèle.

• le chien: the dog
• fidèle: loyal

Questions & Answers about Le chien est fidèle.

What is the literal translation of each word in the sentence?

Le means the (used with masculine nouns), chien translates to dog, est is the third-person singular present form of to be (i.e. is), and fidèle means faithful. So, the sentence means "The dog is faithful."

Why is the definite article le used instead of an indefinite article?

The definite article le is used because French often employs definite articles when referring to general statements or well-known entities. In this sentence, le chien may either signify a specific dog known from context or a general truth about dogs. Additionally, le agrees in gender with chien, which is masculine.

Why is est used in this sentence, and what does it signify grammatically?

Est is the third-person singular form of the verb être (to be). It is used here because chien is a singular subject. Grammatically, est acts as the linking verb that connects the subject (le chien) to the predicate adjective (fidèle).

Why does the adjective fidèle come after the verb instead of before the noun?

In French, when an adjective follows a linking verb (such as être), it is used as a predicate adjective and generally comes after the verb. This is similar to English structures like "The dog is faithful", where the adjective describing the subject follows the verb rather than directly preceding the noun.

Does the adjective fidèle change its form for gender or number?

Fidèle remains the same in the masculine and feminine singular forms. However, for the plural, an s is added to form fidèles. For example, les chiens sont fidèles translates to "The dogs are faithful."

How can this statement be turned into a question in French?

You can form a question from Le chien est fidèle in several ways. One common method is inversion: Le chien est-il fidèle ? Alternatively, you might use the est-ce que construction: Est-ce que le chien est fidèle ? Both forms correctly ask, "Is the dog faithful?"