Log inSign up

Le chat cache la pomme.

Le chat cache la pomme.
The cat hides the apple.
FromLesson 15inHardcore French
……

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.

More from this lesson

entraînerJe m'entraîne dans le parc.le gymnaseJe m’entraîne dans le gymnase avant de rentrer à la maison.Hier, j’avais déjà couru dans le gymnase lorsque tu as envoyé ton message.l'horlogeL'horloge est cassée.indiquer
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“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.).

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning French

Master French — from Le chat cache la pomme to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning French freeBrowse the full course