Breakdown of La montagne a une grande hauteur.
avoir
to have
la montagne
the mountain
grand
great
la hauteur
the height
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Questions & Answers about La montagne a une grande hauteur.
What is the literal translation of La montagne a une grande hauteur?
It literally translates to The mountain has a great height. This indicates that the mountain possesses a considerable vertical measurement.
Why does the sentence use the verb a (from avoir) instead of a form of être like in English when describing a characteristic?
In French, possession or a measurable attribute is expressed with avoir. The verb a means has, indicating that the mountain possesses a certain characteristic (its height). While in English we might say “The mountain is tall,” French often phrases it as “has a great height” to emphasize possession of that measurement.
How does adjective agreement work in the phrase une grande hauteur?
In French, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Here, hauteur is a feminine noun, so the adjective grand takes the feminine form grande. Likewise, the indefinite article une shows that the noun is feminine.
Why is the indefinite article une used before grande hauteur?
The indefinite article une is used because the sentence is describing a characteristic of the mountain in a general sense—indicating that it possesses a height that is notably great. It is not referring to a specific, previously mentioned measurement, but rather stating a quality the mountain has.
Could the idea be expressed with La montagne est haute? What is the difference in nuance?
Yes, you could say La montagne est haute, meaning The mountain is tall. The difference is subtle: La montagne a une grande hauteur emphasizes the measurable extent or magnitude of its height, while La montagne est haute simply describes the mountain as tall. The first construction gives a sense of quantifiable physical dimension, whereas the second is a general description of tallness.