La sortie est fermée.

The exit is closed.

Breakdown of La sortie est fermée.

• être: to be
• la sortie: the exit
• fermé: closed

Questions & Answers about La sortie est fermée.

What part of speech is sortie and what does it mean?

sortie is a feminine noun that generally means exit (the way out). It can also mean departure in specific contexts (e.g. a departure gate).

Why is the article la used instead of le?

In French every noun has a gender. sortie is feminine, so it takes the feminine definite article la (rather than the masculine le).

What is the role of est fermée in this sentence? Is it a passive construction or an adjective?

Here fermer’s past participle fermée is used adjectivally to describe the state of the exit. You can think of it as “is closed” (state). A true passive would often include an agent (e.g. La sortie est fermée par le personnel), but in everyday signage it simply indicates the door/exit’s current condition.

Why does fermée end in -ée and match the feminine noun?

Past participles used as adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Since sortie is feminine singular, fermé takes an extra -e to become fermée.

Are there any liaisons or special pronunciation rules in ?