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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 La sortie est fermée?
- La is pronounced /la/.
- sortie is /sɔʁ.ti/ (no liaison to the following vowel).
- est ends in a silent -t, so you pronounce it /e/.
- fermée is /fɛʁ.me/.
No liaison occurs here: the -t in est remains silent and you don’t link it to fermée.
Could this sign read simply Sortie fermée without the article?
Yes. On signs and notices, articles are often omitted for brevity. Sortie fermée conveys the same meaning (“Exit closed”).
How would you form a question to ask “Is the exit closed?” in French?
You have two common options:
1) Est-ce que la sortie est fermée ? (neutral)
2) La sortie est-elle fermée ? (inversion, more formal)
How would you express the action of someone closing the exit rather than just its state?
Use the passive in the passé composé: La sortie a été fermée. This emphasizes that someone has closed it (the action), whereas est fermée focuses on its current status.
Can you use a synonym for sortie in this context?
In signage sortie is the standard word for “exit.” A literary or technical synonym is issue, but you won’t see that on physical exit signs.