Learn Hardcore French: La brise est douce ce matin, alors je prends mon petit-déjeuner dehors. - The breeze is gentle this morning, so I have my breakfast outside.

Because we’re talking about the breeze that’s actually happening this morning—something definite—so French uses the definite article la. Also, when mentioning general weather phenomena (like la pluie, le vent, la neige), French typically employs the definite article rather than the indefinite.

Why is the adjective spelled douce and not doux?

In French, adjectives agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. Brise is a feminine noun, so its adjective takes the feminine form douce (masculine would be doux).

Could we have written il fait doux ce matin instead of la brise est douce ce matin?

Yes, il fait doux (“it’s mild”) is a common weather expression, but it describes the overall temperature or weather. Saying la brise est douce specifically highlights the gentleness of the breeze. Both are correct but convey slightly different focuses.

Why do we say ce matin and not aujourd’hui matin or ce matin-ci?

Ce matin is the standard way to say “this morning.” Aujourd’hui matin is incorrect in French—one would say ce matin or ce matin-ci (to add emphasis, like “this very morning”).

What does alors mean in this sentence?

Here alors means “so” or “therefore.” It introduces the consequence: because the breeze is gentle, the speaker decides to have breakfast outside.

Why do we use prendre in je prends mon petit-déjeuner instead of manger?

In French the idiom for “having breakfast” is prendre le petit-déjeuner (literally “to take breakfast”). You’ll also hear prendre un café, prendre le train, etc. You could say je mange mon petit-déjeuner, but it sounds less natural.

Why is petit-déjeuner hyphenated?

By French spelling rules, many compound nouns are hyphenated. Petit-déjeuner, arc-en-ciel, tête-à-tête, etc., all use hyphens.

Why is the possessive mon used with petit-déjeuner? Would it ever be ma?

Déjeuner is a masculine noun, so you always use mon, even though petit ends in a consonant. You only use ma if the noun itself is feminine (e.g., ma voiture).

Why is dehors placed at the end of the sentence? Could it come earlier?

Adverbs of place like dehors typically go after the verb or at the very end. You could also say dehors, je prends mon petit-déjeuner, but ending with dehors stresses that the action happens outside.

Can we replace dehors with à l’extérieur? What’s the difference?

Yes, à l’extérieur is a synonym and is a bit more formal or descriptive. Dehors is shorter and more conversational. Both mean “outside,” so choose based on tone.