Answers
Aug 26, 2012 - 09:46 AM
Chose: No, you will encounter may instances where the gender makes no logical sense one way or the other. That is because in the transition from Latin, somehow the neuter gender got dropped. Why should building be masculine, yet house is feminine?
Lui: again, that's just the way it is. There are different words for various objective cases for the personal pronouns for many, but not all personal pronouns. When objects of prepositions, or as indirect objects, Elle and Vous do not change, but Il becomes Lui, Tu becomes Toi, Je becomes Moi.
a l'hotel: yes, it is because it is already contracted. Like de l'eau, not du eau.
I don't think un/une are ever contracted. But, BTW, be careful, it is mon amie, not ma amie, because the word starts with a vowel.
Lui: again, that's just the way it is. There are different words for various objective cases for the personal pronouns for many, but not all personal pronouns. When objects of prepositions, or as indirect objects, Elle and Vous do not change, but Il becomes Lui, Tu becomes Toi, Je becomes Moi.
a l'hotel: yes, it is because it is already contracted. Like de l'eau, not du eau.
I don't think un/une are ever contracted. But, BTW, be careful, it is mon amie, not ma amie, because the word starts with a vowel.
Aug 27, 2012 - 12:11 AM
Thanks for your reply James. My head is much clearer now :) Merci!
PS That mon/ma ami/e has tripped me up a few times but I'm getting there :P
PS That mon/ma ami/e has tripped me up a few times but I'm getting there :P
Sep 17, 2012 - 09:07 PM
James answered 4) already. I would add that the "h" of hotel is silent (like "an hour" as opposed to "a hotel"), so because it is silent, you must contract the preposition "le". You say "L'hotel", but "Le herisson" (the porcupine), l'habitude ("the habit"), but "La Hollande" (the Nederlands).
Yes the gender is dropped for plurals. Le bateau, les bateaux, la voiture, les voitures.
Agreed with James for "un/une", you never contract them.
(Disclamer: I am not a team member of Fluenz. I am a native French speaker).
Yes the gender is dropped for plurals. Le bateau, les bateaux, la voiture, les voitures.
Agreed with James for "un/une", you never contract them.
(Disclamer: I am not a team member of Fluenz. I am a native French speaker).
Jan 07, 2014 - 06:27 PM
Note, however, when you add adjectives to plural nouns, gender will rear its ugly head! So it is la chemise (the shirt), les chemises (the shirts) and le chemisier (the blouse) les chemisiers (the blouses) but la chemise blanche (the white shirt), les chemises blanches (the white shirts) but le chemisier blanc, (the white blouse) and les chemisiers blancs (the white blouses) -