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La mer est bleue.

La mer est bleue.
The sea is blue.
FromLesson 13inHardcore French

Breakdown of La mer est bleue.

être
to be
bleu
blue
la mer
the sea

Questions & Answers about La mer est bleue.

What is the role of the definite article la in this sentence?
In French, every noun has a gender. Here, la is the feminine singular definite article used with mer (the sea). It specifies that we are referring to a particular or generally accepted concept of the sea, much like the in English.
Why is the adjective bleu written as bleue in this sentence?
Adjectives in French agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Since mer is a feminine noun, the adjective must also be in its feminine form. Therefore, bleu becomes bleue, with the added e showing agreement.
Which form of the verb être is used, and why is it correct here?
The sentence uses est, which is the third person singular form of être (to be). This is correct because mer is singular, so the verb must agree with its subject.
Does the word order in La mer est bleue follow a similar structure to English?
Yes, it does. The structure is Subject (La mer) + Verb (est) + Adjective (bleue), which mirrors the English sentence "The sea is blue." This similarity can help English speakers form basic sentences in French.
Can I change the adjective without modifying its ending for a feminine noun?
No. In French, adjectives must always agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. For a feminine noun like mer, the adjective bleu must be modified to bleue. Omitting the change would result in a grammatical error.
How should the words mer and bleue be pronounced?
Mer is pronounced roughly like mehr with a soft, guttural r at the end, while bleue is pronounced bluh (with rounded vowel sounds typical of French). The pronunciation of bleue shows the clear vowel quality and the softened ending that differentiates it from the English word blue.
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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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