Je lis le journal chaque matin.

I read the newspaper every morning.

Breakdown of Je lis le journal chaque matin.

• je: I
• lire: to read
• le matin: the morning
• chaque: every
• le journal: the newspaper

Questions & Answers about Je lis le journal chaque matin.

Why is le journal used instead of un journal?

In French, the definite article le often expresses a general or habitual idea. Here, le journal means “the newspaper” as a regular activity (you read your paper every morning), not just “a newspaper” picked up once. Using un journal would sound like you’re mentioning a non-specific paper for the first time.

How is the verb lire conjugated here? Why lis with an s?

Lire is an irregular 3rd-group verb. In the present tense:
• je lis
• tu lis
• il/elle lit
• nous lisons
• vous lisez
• ils/elles lisent
So for je, the correct ending is -s, giving je lis.

Why is the subject pronoun je necessary? In English we can drop “I.”

French is not a “pro-drop” language: you must include subject pronouns (je, tu, il, etc.) to show who does the action. The verb ending also agrees, but the pronoun itself can’t be omitted.

What’s the difference between chaque matin and tous les matins?

Both indicate a habitual action:

• chaque matin = “each morning,” highlighting every single instance.
• tous les matins = “every morning,” a more general statement of routine.
  You can say either: Je lis le journal chaque matin or Je lis le journal tous les matins.

Could I put chaque matin at the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Time expressions can go at the start or end:
• Chaque matin, je lis le journal.
• Je lis le journal chaque matin.
Both are correct; moving it to the front adds slight emphasis to the time.

Why use the present tense here? English sometimes uses the simple present for habits too.

Just like in English, the French present tense (je lis) covers habitual or repeated actions. There’s no separate habitual tense—present does both “I read now” and “I read (regularly).”

Can journal also mean “diary”? How do I know it’s “newspaper”?

Yes, journal alone can mean “newspaper” or “diary.” Context tells you which. Reading le journal every morning clearly implies “newspaper.” To say diary you’d specify mon journal intime or mon journal personnel.