L'application est pratique pour apprendre le français.

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Questions & Answers about L'application est pratique pour apprendre le français.

Why is it L'application and not La application?

In French, when a singular noun starts with a vowel or a silent h, le and la become l' (this is called elision) to make pronunciation smoother.

  • la application → becomes l'application
  • le homme → becomes l'homme

The gender doesn’t change; application is still feminine. It’s just that la turns into l' before a vowel sound.

How do we know application is feminine (so it’s l'application and not l'application with le)?

You mostly have to learn noun genders by memory, but there are patterns:

  • Many nouns ending in -tion are feminine:
    la nation, la situation, la question, l’application

So application follows that pattern and is feminine: une application, l'application.

What does pratique mean here? Is it the same as useful (utile)?

Pratique means practical / handy / convenient.

  • pratique: focuses on ease of use or convenience.
    L'application est pratique = The app is easy to use / convenient.

  • utile: focuses on usefulness.
    L'application est utile = The app is useful (it helps you achieve something).

In many contexts they overlap, but pratique suggests it’s user‑friendly or convenient, not just helpful in theory.

Why is it est pratique and not something like est pratiques?

Pratique is an adjective that must agree with the subject in gender and number.

  • Subject: L'application → singular, feminine.
  • Adjective: pratique → same form for masculine singular, feminine singular, and masculine plural; only feminine plural adds an s (pratiques).

So:

  • Cette application est pratique. (singular → pratique)
  • Ces applications sont pratiques. (plural → pratiques)

Here the subject is singular, so est pratique is correct.

Why do we use pour apprendre and not à apprendre?

Pour + infinitive is the normal way to express purpose / in order to:

  • L'application est pratique pour apprendre le français.
    = The app is handy for learning / in order to learn French.

Using à + infinitive after pratique to express purpose (pratique à apprendre le français) is not idiomatic in this sentence.

So:

  • pour + infinitive → to express purpose
    C’est bon pour apprendre.
  • à + infinitive is used in other structures (e.g. after some adjectives or verbs), but not here with pratique in this meaning.
Why is it apprendre (the infinitive) and not a conjugated form like j’apprends?

After pour to express purpose, French uses the infinitive:

  • pour apprendre = to learn / for learning
  • pour comprendre = to understand

We are not saying who is doing the learning inside this phrase; we’re just stating the function of the app:

  • L'application est pratique pour apprendre le français.
    = The app is handy for learning French (in general).
Why do we say le français and not just français, like in English to learn French?

French usually uses a definite article with language names:

  • le français, l’anglais, l’espagnol, l’allemand

So:

  • J’apprends le français. = I’m learning French.
  • Elle parle l’espagnol. = She speaks Spanish.

English drops the article; French keeps it. That’s why it’s apprendre le français, not just apprendre français.

Why is français not capitalized here?

In French:

  • Language names are not capitalized:
    le français, l’anglais, le japonais
  • Nationalities used as adjectives are also lower‑case:
    un film français
  • Nationalities used as nouns for people are capitalized:
    un Français, une Française

Here, français is the name of the language, so it stays lower‑case: le français.

Could we say Cette application est pratique pour apprendre le français instead of L'application est pratique…?

Yes. Both are correct but slightly different:

  • L'application est pratique…
    → Refers to the app already known from context (the specific one you’re talking about).

  • Cette application est pratique…
    → Emphasizes this particular app (often when you’re pointing to it, showing it, or distinguishing it from others).

Grammatically, both sentences work the same way.

Is there any liaison or special pronunciation I should know in L'application est pratique pour apprendre le français?

Key points:

  • L'application: the n in -tion is nasal; the final n is not fully pronounced.
  • est pratique: usually no liaison; est is pronounced like é.
    → /ɛ pʁa.tik/
  • pour apprendre: often spoken as pour apprendre without liaison, but you may hear a light r linking pour and apprendre.
  • le français: the final s in français is silent.

Nothing here is a compulsory tricky liaison; it’s more about vowel and final‑consonant silence.