Je ferme le volet de la fenêtre.

I close the window shutter.

Breakdown of Je ferme le volet de la fenêtre.

• je: I
• la fenêtre: the window
• de: of
• fermer: to close
• le volet: the shutter

Questions & Answers about Je ferme le volet de la fenêtre.

What does volet mean, and how is it different from rideau?

A volet is a solid shutter—usually made of wood, metal or plastic—fixed on the outside (or sometimes inside) of a window and swung open or shut. A rideau, on the other hand, is a curtain or drape made of fabric, hung inside in front of the window. They serve different purposes: shutters (volets) block light, wind or intruders; curtains (rideaux) mainly filter light and provide decoration or privacy indoors.

Why is there no preposition between ferme and le volet?

Fermer is a transitive verb in French, which means it takes a direct object without any linking preposition. You simply say fermer + something (e.g. fermer la porte, fermer les yeux, fermer le volet). In English we also say “to close something” without a preposition.

How do you form the first-person singular of fermer in the present tense?

Fermer is a regular -ER verb. To conjugate:

1. Remove -er from the infinitive → ferm-
2. Add the je ending -e → je ferme

So you get je ferme for “I close” or “I am closing.”

Why is it le volet de la fenêtre and not le volet du fenêtre or le volet de fenêtre?

Here de marks possession or association: “the shutter of the window.”

• Because fenêtre is feminine (la fenêtre), de + la stays de la (no contraction).
• de + le would contract to du, but that only happens when the noun is masculine (e.g. du livre, du garçon).
• Omitting the article (de fenêtre) is ungrammatical here: you need de la to specify “the window’s shutter.”

Why is the article le used before volet? Could you use un volet instead?

Le volet means “the shutter,” a specific one—presumably the one you’re about to close. If you say un volet, it means “a shutter” in a non-specific sense:

• Je ferme le volet → “I’m closing the (this) shutter.”
• Je ferme un volet → “I’m closing a shutter” (you’re not referring to a particular one).
  In most real-life contexts, you’d use the definite article when talking about the shutter on your window.

Could you say Je ferme la fenêtre instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, Je ferme la fenêtre means “I close the window” itself (i.e. you bring the glass panes together or lower the sash). But je ferme le volet de la fenêtre specifically refers to closing the shutter attached to that window. They are different actions:

• fermer la fenêtre → closing the window’s glass panes or frame
• fermer le volet → closing the solid shutter

In English we say “I am closing the shutter.” Must you use a continuous form in French?

No. French normally uses the simple present (je ferme) to express both the English simple present and present continuous. If you want to emphasize the ongoing action, you can say Je suis en train de fermer le volet, but it’s not required.

How do we know volet is masculine and fenêtre is feminine?

French noun gender usually must be memorized. However, many nouns ending in -ette (like fenêtre) are feminine, and many ending in -et (like volet) are masculine. These are patterns rather than absolute rules, so always check a dictionary when in doubt.