Learn Hardcore French: À l’épicerie, la file d’attente est courte ce matin. - At the grocery store, the line is short this morning.

Because of elision and gender. épicerie is feminine singular and starts with a vowel sound, so à la becomes à l’. au is à + le, used only with masculine singular nouns. For nouns starting with a vowel or silent h, we use à l’ for both genders. Examples: à l’aéroport, à l’hôpital.

What’s the difference between à l’épicerie, dans l’épicerie, and chez l’épicier?

à l’épicerie: at the grocery store (general location/activity).
dans l’épicerie: inside the store (physically inside).
chez l’épicier: at the grocer’s (the proprietor’s shop). All are natural depending on nuance.

What exactly does file d’attente mean, and why is there d’?

file d’attente is the standard noun for a queue/line of people. Literally: “line of waiting.” de becomes d’ before a vowel (elision). attente is a noun from the verb attendre (to wait). Singular: une file d’attente; plural: des files d’attente.

Can I use queue instead of file d’attente? What about ligne?

faire la queue is very common: “to stand in line.”
As a standalone noun, une queue can mean “a line,” but it also means “tail” and has slang senses, so une file (d’attente) is clearer and safer in neutral contexts.
ligne is not used for a people-queue; it’s a line on paper, a bus line, etc.

Why is it courte and not court?

file is feminine singular, so the adjective agrees: court (masc.) → courte (fem.). Plurals: courts, courtes.

Would petite or brève work instead of courte?

une petite file d’attente is possible but focuses on size/number; une file d’attente courte focuses on length/wait time and is the most idiomatic for a line.
brève (brief) is rarely used with file d’attente. Natural alternatives:
- Il n’y a pas beaucoup de monde. (There aren’t many people.)
- Il y a peu de monde. (Few people.)

Could I say Il y a instead of est?

Yes. Two common ways:

À l’épicerie, la file d’attente est courte ce matin. (Describes the known line.)
À l’épicerie, il y a une courte file d’attente ce matin. (Existential “there is/are.”) Even more idiomatic: … il y a peu de monde.

Why the comma after À l’épicerie? Is it required?

It’s optional. The place phrase À l’épicerie is fronted for emphasis; a comma aids readability. You could also write: La file d’attente est courte ce matin à l’épicerie.

Where can I place ce matin?

All of these are acceptable:

La file d’attente est courte ce matin. (Neutral.)
Ce matin, la file d’attente est courte. (Emphasizes time.)
À l’épicerie ce matin, la file d’attente est courte. (Time + place first.)
Ce matin, à l’épicerie, la file d’attente est courte. (Both fronted.)

Why ce matin and not cet matin or cette matin?

matin is masculine and starts with a consonant, so it’s ce matin. Use cet before masculine nouns starting with a vowel sound (e.g., cet après-midi), and cette for feminine nouns (e.g., cette matinée).

What’s the difference between ce matin and le matin?

ce matin = this morning (today, specific).
le matin = in the morning (habitual/general). Example: Le matin, la file d’attente est souvent courte.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

À l’épicerie: “ah lay-pee-seh-REE” (acute accent on é like “ay”).
file d’attente: “feel da-tahn(t)” with a nasal “an”; final “t” is pronounced.
est: “eh” (no final “t” sound here).
courte: “koort,” with a pronounced “t.”
ce matin: “suh mah-tan” (nasal “an”). Note: no liaison adding a “t” sound between est and courte.

Is there a reason for the accents in À and in épicerie?

Yes. À has a grave accent to distinguish it from a (has). The accent is kept in uppercase. épicerie has an acute accent on é to signal the “ay” sound.

Could I say La queue est courte?

Yes, it’s understandable and used, especially with faire la queue. But la file (d’attente) est courte is stylistically neutral and avoids the other meanings of queue (tail, and slang). In writing, many prefer file d’attente for clarity.

Is file d’attente always singular?

No. Use singular for one line: la file d’attente. For multiple lines: les files d’attente sont courtes ce matin.