Cette conversation est drôle, mais le sujet est important.

This conversation is funny, but the subject is important.

Breakdown of Cette conversation est drôle, mais le sujet est important.

• être: to be
• important: important
• mais: but
• cette: this

Questions & Answers about Cette conversation est drôle, mais le sujet est important.

Why is it cette conversation and not ce conversation or cet conversation?

In French, demonstrative adjectives (this/that) agree with the gender and number of the noun.

• ce – masculine singular (before a consonant): ce livre (this book)
• cet – masculine singular (before a vowel or silent h): cet homme, cet arbre
• cette – feminine singular: cette voiture, cette discussion, cette conversation
• ces – plural for both genders: ces livres, ces voitures

The noun conversation is feminine in French, so you must use cette:

• cette conversation = this conversation

You can’t say ce conversation or cet conversation, because those are masculine forms and don’t agree with the feminine noun conversation.

How do I know that conversation is feminine? It looks the same as in English.