Paul jette le dé.

Paul throws the die.

Breakdown of Paul jette le dé.

• Paul: Paul
• jeter: to throw
• le dé: the die

Questions & Answers about Paul jette le dé.

Why is it jette and not jeter?

Jeter is the infinitive, meaning to throw. In the sentence, the verb is conjugated for Paul, which is he / third person singular in the present tense.

So:

• jeter = to throw
• je jette = I throw
• tu jettes = you throw
• il / elle / on jette = he / she / one throws

Because Paul is the subject, French uses jette.

Why does jeter change to jette with a double t?

This is a spelling change that happens in the present tense for some forms of jeter. The extra t helps keep the right pronunciation.

Present tense of jeter:

• je jette
• tu jettes
• il/elle/on jette
• nous jetons
• vous jetez
• ils/elles jettent

Notice that nous and vous do not double the t, but the other forms do.

Why is there le before dé?

In French, nouns usually need an article more often than in English. Le is the masculine singular definite article, meaning the.

So:

• le dé = the die

French normally does not say just Paul jette dé. The article is needed here.