Le fromage est mou.

The cheese is soft.

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.