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Le fromage est mou.

Le fromage est mou.
The cheese is soft.
FromLesson 28inHardcore French

Breakdown of Le fromage est mou.

être
to be
le fromage
the cheese
mou
soft

Questions & Answers about Le fromage est mou.

Why is it le fromage and not du fromage or un fromage?
  • Le fromage = the cheese (a specific cheese already known in context) or cheese as a general category. French uses the definite article for general statements: Le vin est cher (Wine is expensive).
  • Du fromage = some cheese (an unspecified quantity), usually as an object: Je mange du fromage.
  • Un fromage = a cheese (one whole cheese): J’ai acheté un fromage. If you mean “this cheese,” the most natural choice is Ce fromage est mou.
Is fromage masculine? Why not la fromage?
Yes, fromage is masculine: le fromage. A helpful pattern is that nouns ending in -age are usually masculine. Common exceptions include: la plage, la page, l’image, la cage, la nage, la rage. But fromage follows the usual masculine pattern.
Where does the adjective go—why not mou fromage?
Most descriptive adjectives come after the noun in French. Mou (soft) is one of them: un fromage mou. Only a limited group (often taught as BAGS: Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size—e.g., beau, jeune, bon, grand) usually goes before the noun.
How does the adjective mou agree (feminine/plural/odd forms)?
  • Masculine singular: mou — Le fromage est mou.
  • Masculine singular before a vowel or mute h (rare, formal/literary): mol — e.g., un mol oreiller (a floppy pillow).
  • Feminine singular: molle — La pâte est molle.
  • Masculine plural: mous — Les fromages sont mous.
  • Feminine plural: molles — Des pêches molles. Note: Don’t write “moux.” The plural is mous.
What verb is est and how else is it used?

Est is the 3rd person singular of être (to be). Key present forms:

  • je suis, tu es, il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont. Use it just like English “to be” for descriptions: Le pain est chaud. The final -t in est is silent in statements.
How do you pronounce the whole sentence?

IPA: [lə fʁɔ.maʒ ɛ mu]

  • le: [lə] (schwa), often light.
  • fromage: [fʁɔ.maʒ] (the g is [ʒ] as in “measure”; French r [ʁ]).
  • est: [ɛ] (no t sound here).
  • mou: [mu] (ou = [u], not the French u [y]). No liaison needed between est and mou; just [ɛ mu].
How do I turn it into a question?

Three common ways, from formal to informal:

  • Inversion: Le fromage est-il mou ? (Here the t in est is pronounced because of inversion.)
  • Est-ce que: Est-ce que le fromage est mou ?
  • Rising intonation: Le fromage est mou ?
How do I say it in the negative?

Le fromage n’est pas mou. Note the contraction n’ before the vowel sound in est.

How do I make it plural?
  • Statement: Les fromages sont mous.
  • Question: Les fromages sont-ils mous ? Remember: plural of mou is mous (the s is silent).
When should I say C’est mou vs Il/Elle est mou/molle?
  • C’est mou: neutral comment when pointing/tasting, or when there’s no clear noun mentioned yet.
  • Il est mou / Elle est molle: when the noun has already been mentioned: Le fromage ? Il est mou. Note that for people, Il est mou can mean “He’s spineless/sluggish,” which is pejorative.
Could I use another adjective instead of mou?

Yes, depending on what you mean:

  • doux/douce: mild/sweet in taste (not texture): Ce fromage est doux = mild flavor.
  • tendre: tender (meat, crumb).
  • crémeux/crémeuse: creamy.
  • moelleux/moelleuse: soft, cushiony, pleasantly yielding (often for cakes/cheeses).
  • souple: flexible/pliable.
  • fondant: melty. Mou often implies “limp/too soft” or lacking firmness.
Can du fromage be the subject, like “Some cheese is soft”?
It’s possible but uncommon unless you stress an indefinite quantity or event: Du fromage a été volé (Some cheese was stolen). To say that part of a specific cheese is soft, you’d use a clearer phrase: Une partie du fromage est molle or name the part: La pâte est molle.
Any common pitfalls with words that look/sound similar?
  • mou (soft) vs moisi (moldy). Don’t confuse them.
  • mou vs moue (a pout), pronounced the same [mu] but unrelated.
  • The rare form mol exists before a vowel/mute h in careful/literary style; everyday speech usually sticks with mou.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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