Le jeton est sur la case.

The playing token is on the board space.

Breakdown of Le jeton est sur la case.

• être: to be
• sur: on
• le jeton: the playing token
• la case: the board space

Questions & Answers about Le jeton est sur la case.

What does jeton mean in this sentence?

Here, jeton means a token, counter, or playing piece, especially in a game. It is a masculine noun, which is why it uses le.

What does case mean here? Is it the same as English case?

Not usually. In this context, la case means a square, space, or spot on a board or grid.

So in a board-game sentence, la case is the place where the piece is. It is a common false friend for English speakers, because English case usually means something different.

Why is it le jeton but la case?

Because French nouns have grammatical gender.

• jeton is masculine, so it takes le
• case is feminine, so it takes la

This does not mean the objects are male or female. It is just part of how French grammar works.

Why is the verb est used?