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Questions & Answers about Le magasin est ouvert maintenant.
Why is it Le magasin and not La magasin or L’magasin?
Because magasin is a masculine noun in French. It takes the masculine article le in the singular.
- Singular: le magasin (the store), un magasin (a store)
- Plural: les magasins (the stores) Use l’ only before nouns that begin with a vowel sound or mute h (e.g., l’hôtel, l’école). Magasin starts with a consonant sound, so you keep le.
Does magasin mean store or shop? How is it different from boutique?
Both can translate as “store/shop,” but there’s a nuance:
- magasin: general word for a store (any size), e.g., un magasin de vêtements (clothing store)
- boutique: usually smaller, more specialized or stylish, e.g., une boutique de créateurs Related words: un supermarché (supermarket), une grande surface (big-box store), un centre commercial (mall).
What is est here?
est is the 3rd-person singular present of être (to be). It corresponds to English “is.”
- Le magasin est… = “The store is…”
Is ouvert a verb or an adjective in this sentence?
ouvert here is a past participle used as an adjective meaning “open.” With être, it describes a state, not an action.
- State: Le magasin est ouvert. (It’s in the open state.)
- Action: Le gérant ouvre le magasin à 9 h. (The manager opens the store at 9.)
Why isn’t it ouverte?
Adjectives agree with the noun they describe. magasin is masculine singular, so you use ouvert.
- Masculine singular: ouvert (le magasin est ouvert)
- Feminine singular: ouverte (la boutique est ouverte)
- Masculine plural: ouverts (les magasins sont ouverts)
- Feminine plural: ouvertes (les boutiques sont ouvertes)
Where should maintenant go in the sentence?
Common placements:
- Neutral: Le magasin est ouvert maintenant.
- Emphasis on the change/state: Le magasin est maintenant ouvert.
- Contrastive/topic fronting: Maintenant, le magasin est ouvert. Avoid: Le magasin maintenant est ouvert. (sounds awkward in standard French)
Do I need to say maintenant at all?
Not necessarily. Le magasin est ouvert by itself typically means “The store is (now) open” in the present. Add maintenant to emphasize “now,” or when contrasting with a previous time. For habitual times, add a time expression: Le magasin est ouvert le dimanche.
What’s the difference between est ouvert and ouvre?
- est ouvert = describes the current state (open/closed) or a state over a span: Le magasin est ouvert de 9 h à 18 h.
- ouvre (from ouvrir) = the action of opening (start time): Le magasin ouvre à 9 h.
How do I ask “Is the store open now?” in French?
- Neutral/formal: Est-ce que le magasin est ouvert maintenant ?
- Inversion (more formal): Le magasin est-il ouvert maintenant ?
- Colloquial (rising intonation): Le magasin est ouvert maintenant ? Very casual when pointing at a place: C’est ouvert maintenant ?
How do you pronounce Le magasin est ouvert maintenant?
Approximate: luh mah-gah-ZAN eh too-VAIR meh(n)-tuh-NAHN
IPA (one common reading): /lə maɡazɛ̃ ɛ.tu.vɛʁ mɛ̃t(ə)nɑ̃/
Tips:
- Mandatory liaison in est ouvert: the final -t of est is pronounced [t] → [ɛ.tu-].
- Final -t in ouvert is silent: [uvɛʁ].
- magasin has a [z] sound (s between vowels): [maɡa-zɛ̃].
- in/ain in magasin/maintenant are nasal [ɛ̃].
- The French r [ʁ] is uvular.
How do I say it’s not open now, or it’s closed?
- Negation: Le magasin n’est pas ouvert maintenant.
- Using the opposite adjective: Le magasin est fermé maintenant. Often Le magasin est fermé is enough; maintenant just adds emphasis on “now.”
How would this change in the plural?
- Masculine/mixed: Les magasins sont ouverts maintenant.
- Feminine: Les boutiques sont ouvertes maintenant. Note the agreement: sont (plural of est), and ouverts/ouvertes match gender and number.
Are there natural alternatives to maintenant? Any false friends to avoid?
- en ce moment = at the moment/currently (very common): C’est ouvert en ce moment ?
- à présent = now/at present (a bit formal or narrative)
- pour le moment = for the time being (temporary)
- Be careful: actuellement means “currently/at present,” not “actually.”
- tout de suite = right away/immediately (not simply “now”)
Can I drop the article like on signs?
In normal sentences, keep the article: Le magasin est ouvert.
On signs/headlines, omissions are common: Ouvert, Magasin ouvert, Ouvert maintenant. That ellipsis is fine for signage but not standard full sentences.