Breakdown of La penderie est assez grande pour mes manteaux, et il reste encore deux cintres libres.
Questions & Answers about La penderie est assez grande pour mes manteaux, et il reste encore deux cintres libres.
Why is it grande and not grand?
Because penderie is a feminine singular noun, and the adjective must agree with it.
- la penderie = feminine singular
- grand = masculine singular
- grande = feminine singular
So:
- La penderie est assez grande = The wardrobe/closet is big enough
This is standard adjective agreement in French.
What exactly does penderie mean here?
Penderie usually refers to a place for hanging clothes, such as:
- a wardrobe
- a hanging closet
- the hanging section of a closet
It is related to the verb pendre / suspendre in the sense of hanging. In this sentence, it suggests a storage space where coats can be hung on hangers.
It is a bit more specific than a general armoire, because penderie emphasizes clothes hanging space.
How does assez grande pour work?
Assez ... pour ... means enough ... for ... or sufficiently ... for ....
So:
- assez grande = big enough
- pour mes manteaux = for my coats
Together:
- assez grande pour mes manteaux = big enough for my coats
This is a very common pattern in French:
- assez grand pour moi = tall/big enough for me
- assez riche pour voyager = rich enough to travel
- assez chaud pour sortir = warm enough to go out
Why does French use pour mes manteaux instead of something like to hold my coats?
French often expresses this idea more directly with pour.
- pour mes manteaux literally means for my coats
- In natural English, we often say big enough for my coats or big enough to hold my coats
French does not always need an extra verb like hold or fit if the meaning is already clear from context.
If you wanted to be more explicit in French, you could say something like:
- assez grande pour contenir mes manteaux
- assez grande pour y mettre mes manteaux
But the original sentence is completely natural and idiomatic.
Why is it mes manteaux and not des manteaux?
Because the speaker is talking about their own coats, not coats in general.
- mes manteaux = my coats
- des manteaux = some coats / coats
So:
- pour mes manteaux = for my coats
French uses possessive adjectives very regularly where English does too:
- mon livre = my book
- tes chaussures = your shoes
- nos valises = our suitcases
Why does the sentence say il reste? What does il refer to?
Here, il is an impersonal subject. It does not refer to a specific masculine noun like manteau or cintre.
Il reste ... is a common French structure meaning:
- there remains ...
- there is/are ... left
So:
- il reste encore deux cintres libres = there are still two free hangers left
This is similar to other impersonal French expressions:
- il y a = there is / there are
- il faut = it is necessary / one must
- il semble = it seems
So do not try to translate il here as he or it referring to something specific.
What does reste mean here?
It comes from the verb rester, which often means:
- to remain
- to stay
- to be left
In this sentence, it means to be left / to remain available:
- il reste deux cintres = two hangers remain / there are two hangers left
Other examples:
- Il reste du pain. = There is some bread left.
- Il reste trois minutes. = Three minutes remain.
- Je reste à la maison. = I am staying at home.
So rester can mean either stay or remain, depending on context.
What does encore mean in this sentence?
Here, encore means still.
So:
- il reste encore deux cintres libres = there are still two free hangers left
It adds the idea that, even after putting things away, two hangers remain available.
Encore can have several meanings depending on context:
- still → Il travaille encore. = He is still working.
- again → Dis-le encore. = Say it again.
- another / more → J’en veux encore. = I want more.
In this sentence, still is the right idea.
Why is libres placed after cintres?
Because in French, most adjectives come after the noun.
- deux cintres libres = two free hangers
This is the normal adjective position for many descriptive adjectives, especially ones like:
- grand
- petit
- libre
- intéressant
- utile
So:
- un cintre libre = a free hanger
- deux cintres libres = two free hangers
French adjective placement is not always the same as English, but here the noun-first order is normal.
Why is it libres with an s?
Because libres agrees with cintres, which is masculine plural.
- un cintre libre = one free hanger
- deux cintres libres = two free hangers
Agreement here is:
- masculine singular: libre
- feminine singular: libre
- masculine plural: libres
- feminine plural: libres
So the only visible change is the plural s.
Could French also say Il y a encore deux cintres libres instead of Il reste encore deux cintres libres?
Yes, and that is a very useful comparison.
- Il y a encore deux cintres libres = There are still two free hangers.
- Il reste encore deux cintres libres = There are still two free hangers left.
Both are natural, but il reste emphasizes what remains after considering the available space or what has already been used.
So in this sentence, il reste is slightly more precise because the speaker is talking about leftover capacity in the wardrobe.
Is assez the same as très here?
No. They are quite different.
- très grande = very big
- assez grande = fairly big / big enough, depending on context
In this sentence, assez grande pour mes manteaux clearly means big enough for my coats, not just quite big.
So assez often means:
- quite/fairly, or
- enough
The meaning depends on the structure. With pour here, the enough meaning is very clear.
Why is there no de after assez?
Because assez is directly modifying the adjective grande.
- assez grande = big enough / quite big
You use de after assez when it is followed by a noun:
- assez de place = enough space
- assez de cintres = enough hangers
But before an adjective, there is no de:
- assez grand
- assez grande
- assez libre
So:
- La penderie est assez grande = correct
- La penderie est assez de grande = incorrect
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