Breakdown of La nouvelle toiture est plus solide et isole mieux la maison en hiver.
Questions & Answers about La nouvelle toiture est plus solide et isole mieux la maison en hiver.
Both toiture and toit can translate as roof, but they’re not used in exactly the same way.
le toit = the roof in a general, everyday sense
- the thing you see from outside: le toit de la maison (the roof of the house)
- can also be used figuratively: avoir un toit (to have a roof / a place to live)
la toiture = the roofing / roof structure or covering
- more technical or specific, often used when talking about construction, renovation, insulation, waterproofing, etc.
- it refers more to the system or material of the roof
In a sentence about how the roof insulates better, toiture sounds natural because it suggests the roofing as a technical element of the building (its materials, structure, insulation properties). Le nouveau toit est plus solide… would be grammatically correct, but la nouvelle toiture fits the context of building/insulation work better.
French adjectives can go either before or after the noun, depending on their type and meaning.
Nouvelle is one of a group of very common adjectives that usually go before the noun. A classic way to remember many of them is the BAGS rule:
- Beauty: beau, joli
- Age: jeune, vieux, nouveau, ancien (in some meanings)
- Goodness: bon, mauvais, méchant, gentil
- Size: grand, petit, gros, long, etc.
Nouveau / nouvelle is an age type adjective (new/recent), so it normally comes before the noun:
- la nouvelle toiture (the new roof)
- un nouveau livre (a new book)
- une nouvelle voiture (a new car)
Many other adjectives (especially descriptive ones like solide, rouge, intéressant, français) usually come after the noun:
- un livre intéressant
- un toit solide
- une maison française
Est plus solide is a comparative of superiority with an adjective.
The basic pattern for adjectives is:
- plus + adjective + que = more … than
- aussi + adjective + que = as … as
- moins + adjective + que = less … than
Examples:
Cette toiture est plus solide que l’ancienne.
This roof is stronger than the old one.Cette maison est aussi grande que la nôtre.
This house is as big as ours.Ce mur est moins épais que celui-là.
This wall is less thick than that one.
In your sentence, the than part is simply left implicit:
- La nouvelle toiture est plus solide…
The new roof is stronger (than the old one / than before, etc.)
The comparison term (que l’ancienne toiture, que celle d’avant) is understood from context.
This is about the irregular comparative of bien.
- bien (well) → comparative: mieux (better)
- bon / bonne (good) → comparative: meilleur / meilleure (better)
Key point:
- mieux modifies a verb (how something is done → “does it better / works better”).
- meilleur(e) modifies a noun (which thing is better).
In your sentence:
- isoler is a verb: to insulate.
- We want to say the roof insulates better (acts better, functions better).
So we use:
- La nouvelle toiture isole mieux la maison.
Literally: The new roofing insulates the house better.
Not:
- ✗ isole meilleur la maison → wrong, because meilleur goes with nouns, not directly with verbs.
- isole plus bien is grammatically possible but sounds awkward and is generally avoided in standard French. Mieux is the normal, idiomatic comparative of bien.
Compare:
Cette isolation est meilleure.
This insulation is better. → meilleure modifies the noun isolation.Cette toiture isole mieux.
This roof insulates better. → mieux modifies the verb isole.
The verb isoler has two main meanings:
to insulate (in construction, thermal/acoustic sense)
- isoler une maison = to insulate a house
- isoler les murs = to insulate the walls
to isolate (separate from others)
- isoler un malade = to isolate a patient
- se sentir isolé = to feel isolated
In your sentence, it clearly has the “insulate (against cold)” meaning, because of en hiver.
Isole is the third person singular, present tense of this regular -er verb:
- j’isole
- tu isoles
- il / elle / on isole
- nous isolons
- vous isolez
- ils / elles isolent
So La nouvelle toiture isole mieux… literally: The new roofing insulates … better.
French often uses the definite article (le, la, les) where English might use a possessive like his / her / our / their.
Here:
- la maison = the house
In context, we understand it’s the house that has this roof (probably our house).
French can avoid repeating the obvious possessor, especially with parts of something that clearly belongs to the subject or the context:
Il a levé la main.
He raised his hand. (not sa main, though it’s also possible)Le médecin lui a examiné la gorge.
The doctor examined his/her throat.
Similarly:
- La nouvelle toiture isole mieux la maison.
The new roof insulates the house better.
= the house that this roof belongs to, understood from context.
Could you say notre maison?
- La nouvelle toiture isole mieux notre maison.
Yes, that is also correct, but it slightly emphasizes the ownership (our house, not someone else’s) rather than just describing the effect of this new roofing on the house in general.
For seasons, French normally uses en without an article:
- en hiver = in (the) winter
- en été = in (the) summer
- en automne = in (the) autumn/fall
- au printemps = in (the) spring (this one is different: au = à + le)
So:
- en hiver is the standard, idiomatic way to say in winter.
Dans l’hiver or en l’hiver are not used in normal modern French for this meaning. They would sound unnatural or archaic.
So you say:
- La maison est froide en hiver.
- J’aime la campagne en été.
- Les jours sont courts en hiver.
Yes, you can move en hiver. It’s an adverbial phrase of time, and French allows some flexibility in placing it.
All of these are correct, with slightly different emphasis:
En hiver, la nouvelle toiture est plus solide et isole mieux la maison.
- Focuses first on “in winter”, then adds information about the roof.
La nouvelle toiture, en hiver, est plus solide et isole mieux la maison.
- More marked, gives en hiver a parenthetical feel; used more in spoken or slightly emphatic style.
La nouvelle toiture est plus solide et isole mieux la maison en hiver.
- The original; very natural, en hiver clearly relates to the whole action or specifically to isole mieux la maison.
In general, for time expressions like en hiver, typical positions are:
- At the beginning: En hiver, il fait froid.
- At the end: Il fait froid en hiver.
Both are common and correct.
This is a subtle pronunciation point.
Plus can be pronounced:
- [ply] (no final [s] sound)
- or [plys] (with final [s])
The rules are a bit complex, but in a case like plus solide (meaning more solid), the most common modern pronunciation is:
- [ply sɔ.lid] or [ply zɔ.lid] with optional liaison
- Many speakers say [ply sɔ.lid], keeping the [s] but not linking.
- Some will make a liaison: [ply zɔ.lid].
In everyday speech, many people also just say [ply sɔ.lid] or even [ply sɔ.lid] with a very light or no [s] at all. There is variation.
Important contrast:
When plus means no more / not any longer, the s is usually pronounced:
- Je n’en veux plus. → [ʒə n‿ɑ̃ vø plys].
When plus means more in a comparative, the s is often not pronounced in careful speech, but pronouncing it (and sometimes making a liaison) is also heard and accepted.
For learning purposes, you can safely say [ply sɔ.lid] (light [s], no strong liaison) and you’ll be understood.
Yes, you can say:
- La nouvelle toiture est plus solide et mieux isolante.
Here’s the difference:
isole mieux
- isole is a verb (insulates).
- The sentence describes what the roof does:
→ The new roof is stronger and insulates the house better in winter.
mieux isolante
- isolante is an adjective (insulating).
- mieux is an adverb modifying isolante: more/better insulating.
- The sentence describes what the roof is like as an object (its property):
→ The new roof is stronger and more insulating.
Both are grammatically correct and natural. The nuance is:
- isole mieux = focuses on the action/performance of insulating.
- mieux isolante = focuses on the quality or characteristic of the roof (its insulating nature, materials, design).
In everyday speech, isole mieux is probably more common and direct.
French often uses the present tense to talk about:
- general truths
- regular behavior or properties
- what is normally true now and in all relevant times
Here, the sentence is stating a general fact about this new roof:
- It is stronger.
- It insulates the house better (whenever it is winter).
So the present tense is natural:
- La nouvelle toiture est plus solide et isole mieux la maison en hiver.
The new roof is stronger and insulates the house better in winter.
A future tense like isolera would focus on a specific future time or upcoming event:
- La nouvelle toiture isolera mieux la maison cet hiver.
The new roof will insulate the house better this winter.
This sounds like you’re talking about a future winter specifically (e.g., the work is being done now, and you’re imagining next winter).
In general descriptions and habitual statements, French prefers the present over the future, just like English does in:
- This roof insulates the house better in winter.