Learn Hardcore French: Je lis le journal sur ma tablette pendant le petit-déjeuner. - I read the newspaper on my tablet during breakfast.

Yes. French simple present covers both habitual and ongoing actions. Je lis can mean “I read” or “I am reading.” If you want to emphasize you’re in the middle of it right now, say Je suis en train de lire.

Why is it le journal and not un journal?

Le journal (definite article) works for a specific known paper (today’s paper) or for a habit (“I read the newspaper” in general).
Un journal means “a newspaper” (any one, not specific).
French typically requires an article; you wouldn’t drop it as English sometimes does.

Does journal mean “diary” too? How do I avoid confusion?

Yes, un journal can be a newspaper or a diary depending on context. To be explicit about a diary, say un journal intime. For TV news, you’ll hear le journal télévisé (le JT). With lire, le journal is understood as “the newspaper.”

Why sur ma tablette and not dans, avec, or depuis?

sur is the standard preposition for digital platforms: sur ma tablette / sur mon téléphone / sur Internet.
dans means “inside,” so it doesn’t fit.
avec means “with/using,” but sounds odd here.
depuis ma tablette = “from my tablet” (origin), used for actions like sending.

Can I omit the possessive and say sur tablette?

No. You need an article or a possessive. Say sur ma tablette (my device) or sur la tablette (the tablet, in a context where it’s clear which one).

Why ma tablette and not mon tablette?

Because tablette is feminine, so the possessive is ma. You’d use mon before feminine nouns that start with a vowel sound (e.g., mon amie), but tablette starts with a consonant.

Why pendant le petit-déjeuner instead of au petit-déjeuner or en prenant le petit-déjeuner?

pendant le petit-déjeuner = during the breakfast period (focus on the time span).
au petit-déjeuner = “at breakfast (time)” and is very common for habits.
en prenant le petit-déjeuner = “while having breakfast,” stressing simultaneity of actions. All are acceptable; choose based on nuance.

Is durant interchangeable with pendant?

Yes in meaning (“during”), but durant is a bit more formal/literary. Pendant is the neutral, go-to choice.

Can I move the time phrase to the start of the sentence?

Yes: Pendant le petit-déjeuner, je lis le journal sur ma tablette. That’s natural French.

Should it be petit-déjeuner with a hyphen, or petit déjeuner?

Both are accepted. The 1990 spelling reform recommends the hyphen (petit-déjeuner) for the noun and the verb. Use one style consistently.

What gender is petit-déjeuner, and which articles go with it?

It’s masculine: le/du/un/mon petit-déjeuner.

Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Je lis: “zhuh lee” (the -s in lis is silent).
le journal: “luh zhoor-nal” (French “r” in the throat).
sur: rounded front vowel like “ee” with rounded lips: “syur.”
ma tablette: “mah ta-blet” (final -e in tablette is pronounced).
pendant: “pahn-dahn” (both -an are nasal; final -t silent).
le petit-déjeuner: roughly “luh puh-tee day-zhuh-nay” (no liaison after petit here).

Why isn’t there elision, like l’journal?

Elision (l’) happens before vowel sounds or mute h. Journal starts with a consonant sound (j), so it stays le journal.

How do I say it in the negative?

Je ne lis pas le journal sur ma tablette pendant le petit-déjeuner. In casual speech, people often drop ne: Je lis pas… (informal).

How do I replace le journal with a pronoun?

Use the direct object pronoun le before the verb: Je le lis sur ma tablette pendant le petit-déjeuner.

What if I read multiple newspapers?

Use the plural: Je lis des journaux sur ma tablette… Note the irregular plural: journal → journaux.

How can I say “the news” rather than “the newspaper”?

Neutral/standard: les actualités or l’actualité.
Informal/common: les infos.
Examples: Je lis les actualités/les infos sur ma tablette…

Can I use a full clause with “while,” like “while I eat breakfast”?

Yes: Pendant que je prends le petit-déjeuner, je lis le journal sur ma tablette. You can also say En prenant mon petit-déjeuner, je lis…

Any regional differences I should know about for meal names?

Yes. In Canada/Belgium/Switzerland, déjeuner often means breakfast (France: lunch). There, you might hear pendant le déjeuner for “during breakfast.” Petit-déjeuner is understood, but usage varies.

Could le journal mean the TV news?

In a TV context, le journal (or le JT) is the news broadcast. With lire, it clearly means a newspaper. For TV you’d say regarder le journal.