Ce fromage est ferme.

to be

Breakdown of Ce fromage est ferme.

• le fromage: the cheese
• ce: this
• ferme: firm

Questions & Answers about Ce fromage est ferme.

Why is it ce and not cet, cette, or ces?

Because fromage is masculine singular and starts with a consonant. Use:

• ce before a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant: ce fromage
• cet before a masculine singular noun starting with a vowel or mute h: cet homme, cet avocat
• cette for feminine singular: cette pomme
• ces for any plural: ces fromages, ces pommes

What gender is fromage, and which articles go with it?

Fromage is masculine. Typical pairs:

• Indefinite: un fromage (a cheese)
• Definite: le fromage (the cheese; also used for cheese in general)
• Partitive: du fromage (some cheese)

Why does the adjective ferme come after the noun?

Most descriptive adjectives in French follow the noun. Ferme describes texture and therefore comes after fromage. Only a small set of common adjectives (size, beauty, age, goodness, number—often called BANGS) usually come before the noun, e.g., un bon fromage, un grand fromage.

Does ferme change for gender and number?

Yes, for number; gender doesn’t change the spelling here.

• Masculine singular: ferme
• Feminine singular: ferme
• Masculine plural: fermes
• Feminine plural: fermes Example: Ces fromages sont fermes. / Ces tomates sont fermes.

What’s the difference between ferme and fermé(e)?

• ferme (no accent) = firm (texture): Ce fromage est ferme.
• fermé / fermée (accent on é) = closed/shut: Le magasin est fermé. Also, la ferme is a noun meaning farm, and the expression La ferme ! is a blunt “Shut up!”

How do you pronounce the sentence?

• ce [sə]
• fromage [fʁɔmaʒ]
• est [ɛ]
• ferme [fɛʁm] Full sentence: [sə fʁɔmaʒ ɛ fɛʁm]. The final consonants in fromage and ferme are pronounced; the “t” in est is silent here.

Are there any liaisons or silent letters to watch for?

• The “t” in est is silent unless the next word begins with a vowel (then liaison adds a [ɛ.til], est aimable [ɛ.tɛmabl]).
• In this sentence, no liaison is needed because ferme starts with a consonant.
• ce has a schwa sound [sə]; it can be reduced in fast speech.

Does ce mean “this” or “that”? How do I make it explicit?

Ce can mean either “this” or “that,” depending on context. To be explicit:

• ce fromage-ci = this cheese (near)
• ce fromage-là = that cheese (farther/over there)

Should I use c’est or il est/elle est? Can I say Il est ferme?

• Use c’est before a noun/determiner: C’est un fromage.
• Use il/elle est before an adjective referring to a known noun: Le fromage ? Il est ferme.
• With a full noun as subject, just use the verb: Ce fromage est ferme. So yes, after mentioning the cheese, Il est ferme is correct.

Can I say Du fromage est ferme to mean “Some cheese is firm”?

That’s not idiomatic. Better options:

• Generalization: Le fromage est ferme (Cheese is firm) — but only if that’s the intended general truth.
• Some of them: Certains fromages sont fermes.
• Specific item: Ce fromage est ferme.

Can I use dur instead of ferme? What about other texture adjectives?

• ferme = firm, resilient (yields slightly): typical for many aged cheeses.
• dur = hard (rigid): stronger than ferme. Other useful adjectives:
• mou / molle = soft
• souple = supple
• crémeux / crémeuse = creamy
• sec / sèche = dry Cheese categories you might see: à pâte dure / semi-dure / molle.

How do I negate it or turn it into a question?

• Negation: Ce fromage n’est pas ferme.
• Yes/no questions:
  • Intonation: Ce fromage est ferme ?
  • Est-ce que: Est-ce que ce fromage est ferme ?
  • Inversion: Ce fromage est-il ferme ?