Le chat cache la pomme.

The cat hides the apple.

Breakdown of Le chat cache la pomme.

• le chat: the cat
• la pomme: the apple
• cacher: to hide

Questions & Answers about Le chat cache la pomme.

What does the sentence "Le chat cache la pomme" mean, and what are the roles of its individual words?

It means "The cat hides the apple." In this sentence: • Le chat is the subject, where le is the masculine definite article and chat is the masculine noun for "cat." • Cache is the third-person singular present tense of the verb cacher, meaning "to hide." • La pomme is the object, with la as the feminine definite article and pomme as the feminine noun for "apple."

Why do we use le for chat and la for pomme?

French nouns are assigned a gender, and the articles must agree with the noun they modify. Chat is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine article le, while pomme is feminine, so it uses the feminine article la. This gender agreement is a fundamental aspect of French grammar.

How is the verb cache conjugated in this sentence, and what makes it appropriate for the subject?

Cache is the third-person singular form of the verb cacher in the present tense. Since the subject le chat is singular, this form is used. In French, verb conjugation changes to match the subject’s number and person, similar to how “he hides” is used in English.

Does the word order in "Le chat cache la pomme" differ from typical English sentence structure?

No, it doesn’t. The sentence follows the subject-verb-object (SVO) order, just as in English. Here, le chat (subject) comes first, followed by cache (verb), and then la pomme (object).

Are there any pronunciation or liaison points in this sentence that a learner should be aware of?

Yes, while the written structure is straightforward, paying attention to pronunciation is important. For instance: • In fluent speech, the final consonant of chat is usually pronounced, but it might blur slightly into the beginning of cache. • Although there is no obligatory liaison between chat and cache in this particular sentence, listening to native speakers can help you notice subtle linking that contributes to the natural flow of French speech.