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L'horloge est cassée.

L'horloge est cassée.
The clock is broken.
FromLesson 15inHardcore French
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Breakdown of L'horloge est cassée.

être
to be
cassé
broken
l'horloge
the clock
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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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Questions & Answers about L'horloge est cassée.

Why is the article written as l' instead of la in this sentence?
In French, when a feminine noun that starts with a vowel sound (or a silent h) follows the article, la is elided to l' to ensure smooth pronunciation. Here, horloge starts with a vowel sound, so la horloge becomes l'horloge.
How does adjective agreement work in L'horloge est cassée?
French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Since horloge is a feminine singular noun, the adjective cassée takes the feminine singular form. Notice the additional e at the end indicating its feminine form.
What role does the verb est play in this sentence?
Est is the third person singular form of the verb être, meaning to be. It functions as the linking verb in this sentence, connecting the subject l'horloge to the adjective cassée, which describes its state.
Why does the adjective cassée come after the noun rather than before it?
In French, adjectives that describe a state or a permanent quality typically follow the noun. Although some adjectives can come before the noun, cassée is used after horloge to clearly indicate the condition (being broken) of the clock.
How does the spelling of l'horloge affect its pronunciation?
Because of the elision in l'horloge, the pronunciation flows smoothly without a break between the article and the noun. Additionally, the h in horloge is silent in French, so the word is pronounced starting with a vowel sound, matching the use of l' instead of la.