L’infirmière parle aux patients dans la salle d’attente.

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Breakdown of L’infirmière parle aux patients dans la salle d’attente.

• parler: to speak
• la salle d'attente: the waiting room
• le patient: the patient

Questions & Answers about L’infirmière parle aux patients dans la salle d’attente.

Why is it L’infirmière and not La infirmière?

Because la becomes l’ before a word that starts with a vowel sound.
Infirmière starts with i, so French uses elision:

• la infirmière → incorrect
• l’infirmière → correct

This is very common in French:

• l’école
• l’hôtel
• l’amie

What does infirmière mean exactly, and why does it end in -ière?

Infirmière means nurse, and here it is the feminine singular form. The masculine form is infirmier.

So:

• un infirmier = a male nurse
• une infirmière = a female nurse

The ending changes because French nouns for people often show grammatical gender.

Why is it parle aux patients? Why not just parle les patients?