Learn Hardcore French: Mon petit frère aime ce livre. - My little brother likes this book.

This matches English quite closely: My little brother likes this book.
The main difference is that French adjectives often go after the noun, but petit is one of the common ones that go before (you see this in petit frère).

Why is it mon and not ma or mes?

French has three main possessive adjectives for my:

mon = my (before masculine singular nouns)
ma = my (before feminine singular nouns)
mes = my (before plural nouns, masculine or feminine)

The noun frère (brother) is masculine and singular, so you must use mon:

mon frère = my brother
Compare:
ma sœur = my sister (feminine singular)
mes frères = my brothers (plural)
mes sœurs = my sisters (plural)

So: Mon petit frère = My little (younger) brother.

Why does petit come before frère, not after it?

In French, many adjectives come after the noun, but several very common ones usually come before. A classic group is often remembered by the acronym BANGS or similar: adjectives of Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness, Size.

Petit is an adjective of size, and these typically precede the noun:

un petit frère = a little brother
un grand livre = a big book
une belle maison = a beautiful house
un vieux film = an old film

If you said un frère petit, it would sound unusual and would put strong, somewhat odd emphasis on “he is small (in size)” rather than the usual “younger/little brother” meaning.

Does petit frère mean “younger brother” or literally “small brother”?

In everyday French, petit frère is normally understood as younger brother, not literally a physically small brother.

Mon petit frère = my younger brother
Mon grand frère = my older brother

It can still carry a sense of affection or “little” in a physical or emotional way (especially with children), but functionally it usually means younger.

Is the final t in petit pronounced in petit frère?

Normally, the final t in petit is silent before a consonant:

petit frère is pronounced roughly /pə.ti fʁɛʁ/ (like puh-TEE frehr), NOT /pə.tit/.

You only hear the t in certain situations, for example:

Before a word starting with a vowel sound, some speakers make a liaison: petit ami can be pronounced /pə.ti.ta.mi/.
In very careful or formal speech, someone might pronounce it more clearly, but in everyday speech before frère, the t is silent.

Why is it aime and not aimes or aiment?

Aime is the present tense form of aimer (to like, to love) used with il / elle / on or with a singular third-person noun:

Conjugation of aimer in the present:

j’aime = I like / love
tu aimes = you like / love (singular, informal)
il / elle / on aime = he / she / one likes / loves
nous aimons = we like / love
vous aimez = you like / love (plural or formal)
ils / elles aiment = they like / love

The subject here is Mon petit frère (he = il), so we use aime.

If it were plural (my little brothers), you’d say:

Mes petits frères aiment ce livre.

Does aimer mean “to like” or “to love” in French?

Aimer can mean both to like and to love, depending on context:

With things (books, movies, food), aimer usually means to like:
- J’aime ce livre. = I like this book.
- Il aime le chocolat. = He likes chocolate.
With people, aimer usually means to love in a romantic or strong emotional sense:
- Je t’aime. = I love you.
- Elle aime Paul. = She loves Paul.

If you want to clearly mean “to like” a person (in a milder sense), French often adds bien:

Je t’aime bien. = I like you (friendly, not necessarily romantic).

In Mon petit frère aime ce livre, the natural translation is My little brother likes this book.

Why is there no article like le or un before petit frère?

In French, when you talk about family members and use a possessive (my, your, his, etc.), you normally do not add another article:

Mon père = my father (not le mon père)
Ma mère = my mother
Mon frère = my brother
Ma sœur = my sister
Mon petit frère = my little brother

The possessive (mon, ma, mes) already specifies the noun, so another article (le, un) is unnecessary and incorrect here.

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

French demonstratives for this/that (singular) are:

ce = this / that (before a masculine noun starting with a consonant)
cet = this / that (before a masculine noun starting with a vowel or mute h)
cette = this / that (before a feminine singular noun)
ces = these / those (plural, masc. or fem.)

The noun livre is:

masculine
starting with l, a consonant sound

So you must use ce:

ce livre = this book / that book

Examples for comparison:

cet homme (man) – homme starts with a vowel sound
cette table (table) – table is feminine
ces livres (books) – plural

What is the gender of livre, and how can I tell?

Livre is masculine:

un livre = a book
le livre = the book
ce livre = this / that book

Unfortunately, French noun gender often has to be memorized. There are patterns, but many exceptions. For livre, you just have to learn it as masculine.

One practical tip: whenever you learn a new noun, learn it with an article:

un livre, not just livre
so your brain stores the gender automatically.

Can I say Mon petit frère aime ce livre-là? What does -là add?

Yes, you can say:

Mon petit frère aime ce livre-là.

Adding -là:

Emphasizes that book (over there / that specific one) rather than just this book in a neutral sense.
Often contrasts it with another book: ce livre-ci (this one here) vs ce livre-là (that one there).

So:

ce livre = this book / that book (contextual, neutral)
ce livre-là = that book (there / that specific one)

How would I say “My little brothers like this book”?

You need to make both the possessive and the noun plural, and the verb plural as well:

Mes petits frères aiment ce livre.

Changes:

Mon → Mes (my + plural noun)
petit → petits (adjective agrees in number)
frère → frères (plural noun)
aime → aiment (3rd person plural verb form)

How would I say “My little sister likes this book”?

You must change the gender from masculine (frère) to feminine (sœur) and adjust the possessive and adjective:

Ma petite sœur aime ce livre.

Changes:

Mon → Ma (my + feminine singular noun)
petit → petite (adjective agrees in gender)
frère → sœur (sister)

The rest stays the same: aime ce livre.

Can I drop ce and just say Mon petit frère aime le livre? What is the difference?

Yes, you can say Mon petit frère aime le livre, but the meaning shifts slightly:

Mon petit frère aime ce livre.
= My little brother likes this / that book (demonstrative, pointing to a specific one in context).
Mon petit frère aime le livre.
= My little brother likes the book (a specific book already known to both speaker and listener, or “the book” in some more general or abstract sense).

In many real situations, ce livre is more natural if you’re physically pointing to a book or contrasting it with others.

How do you pronounce the whole sentence Mon petit frère aime ce livre?

A rough phonetic guide (in simplified English terms):

Mon → mohn (nasal on; lips rounded, don’t fully pronounce a clear n)
petit → puh-TEE (final t silent here)
frère → frehr (guttural French r in the throat; è like e in bed but longer)
aime → em (like English M)
ce → suh
livre → leevr (final e very weak or almost silent; vr together)

All together, something like:

[mohn puh-TEE frehr em suh leevr]

In IPA: [mɔ̃ p(ə)ti fʁɛʁ ɛm sə livʁ].