La pioche est près du plateau de jeu.

The draw pile is near the game board.

Breakdown of La pioche est près du plateau de jeu.

• être: to be
• près de: near
• le plateau de jeu: the game board
• la pioche: the draw pile

Questions & Answers about La pioche est près du plateau de jeu.

Why is it la pioche and not le pioche?

Because pioche is a feminine noun in French, so it takes the feminine singular article la.

• la pioche = the draw pile / the pickaxe, depending on context
• If it were masculine, it would take le

In French, grammatical gender is something you usually have to learn with the noun.

What does est mean here?

Est means is. It is the third-person singular form of the verb être (to be).

So:

• La pioche est... = The draw pile is...

This is one of the most important verbs in French, and est is used with singular subjects like il, elle, or a singular noun phrase such as la pioche.

Why is it près du and not just près?

In French, près normally goes with de when you say something is near something else:

• près de = near

So the full structure is:

• près de le plateau → this contracts to près du plateau

That is why you get près du.

A useful rule:

• de + le = du
• de + les = des

So:

• près du plateau = near the board