Le chat est dehors.

The cat is outside.

Breakdown of Le chat est dehors.

• être: to be
• le chat: the cat
• dehors: outside

Questions & Answers about Le chat est dehors.

What is the function of Le in Le chat est dehors?

Le is the masculine singular definite article meaning the, marking that you’re talking about a specific cat. French requires an article before a singular, countable noun.

Why can’t we say Chat est dehors?

In French, you need an article (or another determiner) before a singular noun. Omitting Le would be ungrammatical. Instead, if the subject is known, you could say Il est dehors.

What does est mean, and how is it formed?

Est is the third-person singular present indicative of the verb être (to be). It translates as is.

How is dehors used here grammatically?

Dehors is an adverb of place meaning outside. Unlike English, French doesn’t use a preposition before this adverb.

How would you pronounce Le chat est dehors?

You’d pronounce it roughly [lə ʃa ɛ døʁ]. There’s no liaison here between words.

How do you ask in French?