Breakdown of L'étranger pose une question simple.
la question
the question
simple
simple
poser
to ask
l'étranger
the foreigner
Questions & Answers about L'étranger pose une question simple.
Why is there an apostrophe in L'étranger instead of writing Le étranger?
In French, le and la become l' in front of a word that begins with a vowel sound. This is called élision.
- le étranger → l'étranger
- la amie → l'amie
Étranger starts with the vowel sound é, so le (the masculine singular article) drops its e and takes an apostrophe: l'étranger.
The gender does not change:
- le
- étranger (masculine) → l'étranger (still masculine).
Is l'étranger “a foreigner” or “a stranger”? Which one is correct?
Étranger can mean both, depending on context:
- a foreigner: someone from another country
- Il est étranger. – He is a foreigner.
- a stranger: a person you don’t know
- Ne parle pas à l'étranger. – Don’t talk to the stranger.
In your sentence, L'étranger pose une question simple, both are grammatically possible. The exact English translation (foreigner vs stranger) depends on the larger context or story.
Why is it pose une question and not ?