Breakdown of Cet article parle de santé.
parler
to speak
de
about
cet
this
l'article
the article
la santé
the health
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Questions & Answers about Cet article parle de santé.
Why is it cet instead of ce?
The form cet is the masculine singular demonstrative adjective used before a noun beginning with a vowel or mute h. If the noun began with a consonant, you would use ce (e.g. ce livre). Here article starts with a vowel sound, so it takes cet.
How do I know that article is masculine?
French nouns have grammatical gender (masculine or feminine), which you generally have to memorize. Many words ending in -e (like article) don’t follow a clear rule, so you check a dictionary or learn them in context. Here article is masculine (le article → l’article in full form).
Why is the verb parle in the third person singular form?
In French, verbs agree with their subjects. Cet article is singular, so the verb parler must be in the third person singular: il/elle parle. If the subject were plural (e.g. ces articles), you would use parlent.
Why do we use de after parler in this sentence?
When parler means “to talk about,” it’s always constructed with the preposition de plus the topic. So parler de = “to talk about.” You can’t say parler + direct object like in English (“talk health”).
Why is there no definite article before santé? Can I say parle de la santé?
Yes—Cet article parle de la santé is perfectly correct. The version without la (just parle de santé) is common in headlines, titles or very general statements because it’s shorter and treats santé as an abstract concept. In standard prose, you’ll usually include la: de la santé.
Can we omit de and say Cet article parle santé?
No. When parler means “to discuss,” you always need the preposition de before the noun (or article + noun). Omitting de is ungrammatical.
How do you pronounce santé?
You pronounce it [sɑ̃.te]:
- s sounds like the English “s.”
- an gives a nasal vowel (no “n” release).
- té sounds like “tay.”
Put together: “sahn-tay.”
Are there other verbs I could use instead of parler to mean “talk about”?
Yes. Some common alternatives are:
• aborder (e.g. Cet article aborde la santé.)
• traiter (e.g. Cet article traite de la santé.)
• examiner (e.g. Cet article examine la santé publique.)
Each takes de (or a direct noun) after it and has its own nuance (approach, deal with, examine).