Learn Hardcore French: L'appartement au premier étage est le plus calme. - The apartment on the first floor is the quietest.

French elides the definite articles le and la before a vowel sound. Appartement starts with a vowel, so le appartement becomes l’appartement (with an apostrophe). This is purely for pronunciation flow.

What does au mean in au premier étage?

Au is the contraction of à + le. Literally “at the,” it’s the standard way to talk about being on a particular floor: au premier/deuxième/troisième étage, etc.

Why not say dans le or sur le premier étage?

Au premier étage is the idiomatic way to express location on a floor.
Dans le premier étage is not idiomatic for floors.
Sur le premier étage is incorrect here; sur means “on top of,” used for surfaces, not building levels.

What floor is premier étage in American vs British English?

In American English: the “second floor” (since the “first floor” is at street level in the US).
In British English: the “first floor” (above the “ground floor”). French aligns with the British system: rez-de-chaussée = ground floor, premier étage = one level above that.

Why premier and not première?

Agreement. Étage is masculine, so the ordinal adjective is masculine: premier étage. With a feminine noun you’d use première (e.g., la première fois).

How do I abbreviate premier étage?

Use ordinal abbreviations:

Masculine: 1er → au 1er étage
Feminine: 1re (e.g., la 1re place)

Could I say l’appartement du premier étage instead of au premier étage?

Both exist but differ slightly:

au premier étage states the apartment’s location (on that floor).
du premier étage is “of/from the first floor” and tends to single out the unique apartment associated with that floor. It sounds natural if there’s only one apartment per floor or if context has already identified it.

How do I say “ground floor” and other floors?

Ground floor: au rez-de-chaussée (often abbreviated au RDC)
Basement: au sous-sol
Other floors: au deuxième, au troisième, etc.

Why est le plus calme and not est plus calme?

plus calme = “quieter” (comparative, between two items or implicitly two).
le plus calme = “the quietest” (superlative, top degree among three or more—or the whole set).

Does le in le plus calme agree with calme or with appartement?

It agrees with the noun being described. Here, appartement is masculine singular, so you use le plus calme. For a feminine noun: la plus calme; plural: les plus calmes.

Where does the superlative go with the noun?

For adjectives that normally follow the noun (like calme): l’appartement le plus calme.
For adjectives that normally precede the noun (like grand, beau): le plus grand appartement, le plus bel appartement.

Do I need to add what it’s the quietest of (e.g., “in the building”)?

It’s optional. If context is clear, … est le plus calme is fine. To be explicit, add de:

… est le plus calme de l’immeuble.
… est le plus calme de tous.

How do I pronounce plus in le plus calme?

Before a consonant, the final s is usually silent: le plu calme (no “s” sound).
Before a vowel, you typically hear a liaison “z”: le plu-z-agréable. Note: In the negative ne … plus (“no longer”), the final s is also usually silent.

Could I use another adjective, like silencieux?

Yes, with slight nuance:

le plus calme = the most peaceful/tranquil (overall feel).
le plus silencieux = the most silent (focus on absence of noise). You can also say le moins bruyant (“the least noisy”).

How would the sentence change if the noun were feminine or plural?

Feminine singular: La chambre au premier étage est la plus calme.
Plural: Les appartements au premier étage sont les plus calmes.

Can I rephrase to emphasize the subject?

Yes, a cleft sentence is common:

C’est l’appartement au premier étage qui est le plus calme. This highlights that specific apartment.