Learn Hardcore French: Le chat est entre la chaise et la table. - The cat is between the chair and the table.

chat (cat) is masculine, so it takes the masculine article le.
The feminine form is la chatte, but that specifically means a female cat and is less commonly used in everyday speech (and can have slang meanings), so people often just say le chat for “the cat,” regardless of the animal’s sex.

So le chat is the normal, dictionary form: le chat = the cat (masculine noun).

Why is it le chat est and not c’est le chat?

Both structures exist, but they’re used differently:

Le chat est entre la chaise et la table.
You already have a clear subject (le chat), and you say where it is. This is a straightforward subject + verb sentence.
C’est le chat.
This means “That’s the cat.” / “It’s the cat.” You use c’est mostly to identify or introduce something or someone, not to say where they are.

To say where the cat is, you keep the noun as subject and use être directly:

Le chat est entre la chaise et la table. = The cat is between the chair and the table.

You could also replace le chat with a pronoun and say:

Il est entre la chaise et la table. = He/It is between the chair and the table.

Why is the verb est and not some other form of être?

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

je suis – I am
tu es – you are (singular, informal)
il / elle / on est – he / she / one is
nous sommes – we are
vous êtes – you are (plural or formal)
ils / elles sont – they are

Le chat is third person singular (like il), so you must use est:

Le chat est … = The cat is …

Why do we use entre in this sentence? What does it mean exactly?

Entre is a preposition that means between (when there are two things or two points):

Le chat est entre la chaise et la table.
The cat is between the chair and the table.

You normally use entre followed by:

two nouns: entre la chaise et la table
or two pronouns: entre toi et moi (between you and me)

So entre X et Y is the standard structure for between X and Y.

Does entre always go with et like in entre la chaise et la table?

Almost always, yes, when you mean between A and B:

entre Paris et Lyon – between Paris and Lyon
entre le lit et le mur – between the bed and the wall

This pattern is very typical:

entre [first element] et [second element]

You can sometimes see entre with more than two items, but then it’s closer to the idea of being “among several options”:

Entre le bus, le métro et le vélo, je préfère le vélo.
(Between the bus, the metro, and the bike, I prefer the bike.)

What is the difference between entre and parmi?

Both can be translated as between/among, but they aren’t interchangeable:

entre: normally used for two elements (or clearly separated items).
- Le chat est entre la chaise et la table.
  The cat is between the chair and the table.
parmi: used for among several elements, without a clear “one side / other side” idea.
- Le chat est parmi les chaises.
  The cat is among the chairs.

If you can clearly think of two sides, use entre.
If the cat is somewhere in a group, use parmi.

Why is it la chaise and la table, not une chaise and une table?

Both are grammatically possible; the choice changes the nuance:

la chaise / la table = the chair / the table
This suggests that speaker and listener know which specific chair and table are meant. It’s more definite.
une chaise / une table = a chair / a table
This is more indefinite, like introducing them for the first time or when it doesn’t matter which chair/table.

So:

Le chat est entre la chaise et la table.
The cat is between the chair and the table (specific ones).
Le chat est entre une chaise et une table.
The cat is between a chair and a table (not specific).

Why are chaise and table feminine? How do I know their gender?

There’s no reliable rule that lets you guess the gender of every noun, and it often doesn’t match English.

la chaise – chair (feminine)
la table – table (feminine)

For most nouns, you simply have to learn the gender with the word:

Learn la chaise, not just chaise.
Learn la table, not just table.

Some endings often indicate feminine or masculine, but they are not 100% consistent. The safest strategy is: always memorize the article with the noun.

Could we say Le chat est entre la table et la chaise instead? Does the order matter?

Yes, you can reverse the order:

Le chat est entre la chaise et la table.
Le chat est entre la table et la chaise.

Both are correct and mean the same thing: the cat is in the space between those two objects. In practice, speakers just pick whichever order feels more natural in context (for example, mentioning the closer object first).

How would the sentence change if there were multiple chairs or tables?

You change the nouns and articles to the plural form:

les chaises – the chairs
les tables – the tables

Examples:

The cat is between the chair and the tables:
Le chat est entre la chaise et les tables.
The cat is between the chairs and the table:
Le chat est entre les chaises et la table.
The cat is between the chairs and the tables:
Le chat est entre les chaises et les tables.

The structure entre … et … stays the same; only the nouns and articles change.

Are there any silent letters or special pronunciation points in Le chat est entre la chaise et la table?

Yes, several:

le – pronounced roughly /lə/ (like “luh”).
chat – pronounced /ʃa/ (like “sha”); the t is silent.
est – usually /ɛ/ (like “eh”); in careful speech, you may hear a slight /e/.
entre – /ɑ̃tʁ/
- en gives a nasal sound /ɑ̃/ (no fully pronounced “n”).
chaise – /ʃɛz/ (like “shez” in English “cheZ”); the final e is not pronounced, but the s is.
table – /tabl/, with the final e not pronounced.

Liaison:

Between est and entre, a liaison is common in careful speech:
est entre → /ɛ.t‿ɑ̃tʁ/ (you hear a t sound linking the words).

Why don’t we need an extra preposition like à or dans, as in English “in between”?

In French, entre by itself already contains the idea of in between.

English: in between the chair and the table
French: entre la chaise et la table

You do not say:

✗ dans entre la chaise et la table
✗ à entre la chaise et la table

Those are incorrect. Just use entre + [first element] + et + [second element].

Can I replace Le chat est entre… with something like Le chat se trouve entre…?

Yes, but the nuance changes slightly:

Le chat est entre la chaise et la table.
Neutral, very common, simple statement of location.
Le chat se trouve entre la chaise et la table.
Also correct; it literally means “The cat is located / is to be found between the chair and the table.”
It can sound a bit more formal or descriptive, and is often used in written language or more careful speech.

For everyday spoken French, est is usually the most natural choice.