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Le chat est calme.

Le chat est calme.
The cat is calm.
FromLesson 12inHardcore French

Breakdown of Le chat est calme.

être
to be
le chat
the cat
calme
calm

Questions & Answers about Le chat est calme.

What does the article le signify in this sentence?
Le is the definite article equivalent to the in English. It is used here to refer to a specific cat, indicating that the speaker assumes the listener knows which cat is being discussed, much like in English.
How is the verb est functioning in this sentence?
Est is the third person singular present form of the verb être, which means to be. In this sentence, it connects the subject le chat with the adjective calme, forming the idea that the cat is in a calm state.
Why does the adjective calme remain unchanged, and does it agree with le chat?
In French, adjectives typically agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. However, calme is one of those adjectives that looks the same in both masculine and feminine forms (and in singular form, it remains unchanged). Since le chat is masculine singular, calme is correctly used without any modification.
How does the structure of Le chat est calme compare with an equivalent English sentence?
The structure of Le chat est calme is very similar to the English sentence The cat is calm. Both use a Subject-Verb-Adjective order, making this French sentence straightforward for native English speakers to understand.
How should the word chat be pronounced in French, and does it differ from the English word cat?
In French, chat is pronounced roughly like sha (with a soft, almost silent final t). This pronunciation differs from the English cat, where the t is clearly pronounced and the vowel sounds are different.
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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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