Le constat amiable décrit la canalisation.

The joint incident report describes the fixed water line.

Breakdown of Le constat amiable décrit la canalisation.

• décrire: to describe
• le constat amiable: the joint incident report
• la canalisation: the fixed water line

Questions & Answers about Le constat amiable décrit la canalisation.

Why is it le constat amiable and not l’constat amiable?

French uses le before a masculine singular noun that begins with a consonant sound.
Constat starts with the consonant c, so you say le constat.

You only use l’ before a vowel sound or a silent h, for example:

• l’accident
• l’homme

So here, le constat amiable is the correct form.

Why is amiable placed after constat?

In French, many adjectives come after the noun, unlike in English, where adjectives usually come before it.

So:

• English: the amicable report
• French: le constat amiable

This is normal word order in French. Some adjectives do come before the noun, but amiable is not one of the common ones that usually do.

Does amiable mean the same thing as English amiable?

Not exactly.

In English, amiable usually describes a friendly or pleasant person.
In French, amiable often means amicable, by mutual agreement, or non-confrontational, especially in legal, administrative, or formal contexts.

So in constat amiable, it does not mean the report itself is “nice.” It is part of a set expression meaning that both parties agree on the report.

This is a good example of a word that looks familiar but is used a bit differently.