En ville, la pollution sonore est autant un problème que la pollution de l’air.

In the city, noise pollution is as much a problem as air pollution.

Breakdown of En ville, la pollution sonore est autant un problème que la pollution de l’air.

• être: to be
• en: in
• la ville: the city
• de: of
• l'air: the air
• le problème: the problem
• la pollution: the pollution
• que: as
• autant: as much
• sonore: noisy

Questions & Answers about En ville, la pollution sonore est autant un problème que la pollution de l’air.

Why does the sentence use En ville instead of something like Dans la ville or À la ville?

En ville is a very common fixed expression in French meaning in town / in the city (in urban areas) in a general way, not one specific city.

• En ville = in (the) city, in an urban environment (general statement)
  
  • En ville, la vie est plus chère. – In the city, life is more expensive.
• Dans la ville = inside a particular city (more concrete, more specific)
  
  • Dans la ville de Paris, il y a beaucoup de touristes.
• À la ville is much less common and can sound odd or old‑fashioned in this sense. You’d use à + city name:
  
  • À Paris, il y a beaucoup de pollution.

So here, En ville sets a general context: In urban areas / In cities…

Why is there no article before ville in En ville?

Normally, French uses articles a lot, but en ville is an idiomatic expression:

• You don’t say en la ville; the fixed phrase is just en ville.
• It works similarly to:
  • en classe – in class
  • en vacances – on vacation
  • en prison – in prison

In these expressions, French drops the article because they’re set phrases used to describe a general situation or context, not a specific, countable place.

What does la pollution sonore mean exactly, and why sonore and not something with bruit?

La pollution sonore means noise pollution.

• pollution = pollution
• sonore = sound‑related / acoustic (an adjective made from son = sound)

So pollution sonore is literally sound pollution, which in English we call noise pollution.

Why not use bruit (noise)?

• le bruit = the actual noise
• bruyant(e) = noisy (adjective)
• But the standard term in French for noise pollution is la pollution sonore, not pollution de bruit or pollution bruyante.

Example:

• La circulation crée une forte pollution sonore.
  Traffic creates a lot of noise pollution.

Why does the sentence use la pollution sonore with la (the), and not just pollution sonore without an article?

In French, when you talk about things in general, you typically use the definite article (le, la, les):

• La pollution sonore est dangereuse. – Noise pollution is dangerous.
• Les voitures polluent. – Cars pollute.
• Le tabac est mauvais pour la santé. – Tobacco is bad for your health.

English often drops the article in general statements (Pollution is a problem), but French normally keeps it (La pollution est un problème).

So la pollution sonore here means noise pollution in general, not one specific instance of it.

What exactly does autant un problème que mean? Is it like as much of a problem as?

Yes. autant un problème que corresponds very closely to as much of a problem as.

Structure:

• être autant un problème que…
  = to be as much of a problem as…

So:

• La pollution sonore est autant un problème que la pollution de l’air.
  = Noise pollution is as much of a problem as air pollution.

You’re comparing the degree/importance of the problem:

• They are equally problematic.

Why is it autant un problème que and not autant de problèmes que?

This is about two different structures:

1. autant de + noun + que
   Used when you compare quantities:

   • Il y a autant de problèmes ici que là-bas.
     There are as many problems here as there.

2. être autant + noun (in predicate) + que
   Used when être links the subject to a noun:

   • La pollution sonore est autant un problème que la pollution de l’air.
     Noise pollution is as much of a problem as air pollution.

Here, problème is not a counted thing like “three problems”; it’s part of the description after être. You’re saying:

• X est un problème
• X est autant un problème que Y

So autant un problème que is correct in this être + noun (predicate) pattern.

Can I say aussi un problème que instead of autant un problème que?

No, not in this structure. That would sound wrong to a native speaker.

General rule:

• aussi … que is used with adjectives and adverbs:

  • C’est aussi important que ça. – It is as important as that.
  • Il travaille aussi rapidement que toi. – He works as quickly as you.

• autant … que is used with nouns and also in some other patterns with verbs:

  • Il a autant de problèmes que toi. – He has as many problems as you.
  • C’est autant un problème que l’autre. – It’s as much a problem as the other one.

If you wanted to use aussi, you’d have to change the structure:

• La pollution sonore est aussi problématique que la pollution de l’air.
  (Here aussi modifies the adjective problématique.)

Why is it autant un problème que la pollution de l’air and not autant un problème que la pollution de l’air ne l’est?

Both versions are grammatically correct, but they are slightly different in style:

1. La pollution sonore est autant un problème que la pollution de l’air.

   • This is the normal, everyday structure.
   • Shorter and more natural in spoken French.

2. La pollution sonore est autant un problème que ne l’est la pollution de l’air.

   • More formal / literary.
   • Uses a ne explétif and l’ to avoid repeating problème.
   • Still correct, but feels heavier and more bookish.

In modern everyday French, people overwhelmingly use the simpler form you have in the sentence.

Why is it de l’air and not de le air?

This is just normal French contraction:

• de + le → du
• de + la → de la
• de + l’ → de l’ (before a vowel sound or mute h)
• de + les → des

Since air is masculine and starts with a vowel:

• Article: l’air (short for le air, but that form is never used)
• With de: de l’air, not de le air

So:

• la pollution de l’air = the pollution of the air / air pollution

What’s the difference between l’air and l’aire in French? They sound the same.

They are homophones (same pronunciation), but different words:

• l’air (from le air)

  • Meaning: air, atmosphere; also tune, appearance
  • Our sentence uses this one: la pollution de l’air = air pollution

• l’aire (from la aire)

  • Meaning: area, zone, space (geometrical or specific location)
  • Example: une aire de repos – a rest area on a motorway

So in la pollution de l’air, it must be air, not aire, because we’re talking about the atmosphere.

Why not say la pollution de l’air en ville est autant un problème que…? Is En ville at the beginning doing something special?

You could say:

• En ville, la pollution sonore est autant un problème que la pollution de l’air.
• La pollution sonore, en ville, est autant un problème que la pollution de l’air.
• La pollution sonore est, en ville, autant un problème que la pollution de l’air.

All are grammatically possible, but they change emphasis and rhythm.

Putting En ville at the very beginning:

• Quickly gives the context before anything else: In cities…
• Sounds natural and clear in both writing and speech.
• Matches a common pattern in French: En X, … (En été, En France, En classe…)

So En ville at the start is mostly a stylistic choice to foreground the setting.

Why is pollution feminine (la pollution) and sonore in the feminine form here?

In French, every noun has a grammatical gender; you just have to learn it with the noun:

• la pollution – feminine
• Therefore, any adjective describing it must also be feminine:
  • masculine: sonore
  • feminine: sonore (the form happens to be the same in writing)
  • plural: sonores

So:

• la pollution sonore (feminine singular)
• des pollutions sonores (feminine plural)

You see the agreement more clearly with an adjective that changes form:

• la pollution est dangereuse (fem.)
• le bruit est dangereux (masc.)