Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching French grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Sa voix est faible.
Why is sa used instead of son?
In French, the possessive adjective (son/sa) agrees with the gender of the noun it modifies, not with the gender of the owner. Voix is a feminine noun, so you always use sa (feminine) rather than son (masculine).
Why does voix end with -x even though it’s singular?
Some French nouns of Latin origin end in -x in the singular (e.g. foi, coix archaic). Voix is one of them. In the plural, it remains voix (no change).
How do you pronounce voix?
Voix is pronounced [vwa]. The x is silent, and the diphthong “oi” sounds like [wa].
Why does the adjective faible look the same for masculine and feminine?
Faible ends in -e already, so its masculine singular form is faible and its feminine singular form is also faible (no extra e). Plurals add -s (faibles).
How do you pronounce faible?
Faible is pronounced [fɛ-bl(ə)]. The “ai” is [ɛ], the “b” is pronounced, and the final “e” is often a very short or silent schwa in casual speech.
Why is the adjective placed after est instead of before voix?
In French, when you use the verb être (“to be”) as a linking verb, the structure is always noun + être + adjective. Regular descriptive adjectives commonly follow the noun.
Should you make a liaison between est and faible?
No. A liaison occurs when a word ending in a normally silent consonant is followed by a word starting with a vowel or mute h. Since faible starts with the consonant f, there is no liaison (you don’t pronounce a hidden /t/).
Could you express the same idea with avoir instead of être?
Yes. You could say Il a une voix faible (“He has a weak voice”). That shifts from a state description (être + adj.) to a possession structure (avoir + noun). The meaning is similar, but the focus changes slightly.
What nuance does faible convey here compared to adjectives like douce or basse?
Faible emphasizes lack of volume or strength (the voice is weak or faint).
Douce suggests a soft, gentle, pleasant timbre.
Basse means low-pitched. Each adjective describes a different quality of the voice.