le

Everyday

1. (French) «Le» means «the» in French, used before a masculine word: «le chat» is «the cat». tree →
2. It sounds like «luh» to an English ear, with a short soft vowel. tree →
3. It is not an English word, but you meet it in French names and phrases that English has borrowed. tree →

In the lessons

In French lessons it is one of the first words learnt, with «la» (the, feminine) and «les» (the, plural); every French noun has a gender, and «le» shows that the noun is masculine. In English you meet it in borrowed names and phrases such as «Le Mans», café menus («le menu») and in names of places in Canada (Quebec) and France.

Examples

• In French, «le chat» means «the cat». tree →
• Our teacher wrote «le livre» on the board and said it means «the book». tree →
• «Le» sounds a bit like «luh». tree →
• The Quebec street sign said «Le Vieux-Port». tree →
• In French class we sorted words into «le» words and «la» words. tree →
• «Le garçon» means «the boy». tree →
• The café in our town is called «Le Petit Café». tree →
• From ‘Le Foyer Breton,’ par E. tree →

Note

French, not English. Before a vowel or silent «h», «le» shrinks to «l'»: «l'arbre» (the tree), «l'homme» (the man). Do not confuse it with «la» (feminine the) or «les» (plural the). Gender in French is grammar, not real life: a table is «la table» but a book is «le livre». In English text it is usually in names, so keep the capital: «Le Mans».

In Jewish tradition

In French lessons it is one of the first words learnt, with «la» (the, feminine) and «les» (the, plural); every French noun has a gender, and «le» shows that the noun is masculine. In English you meet it in borrowed names and phrases such as «Le Mans», café menus («le menu») and in names of places in Canada (Quebec) and France.

Examples

• Yod is variously written in English letters as I, Y, or J, or sometimes le. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all; at Beth-le-aphrah roll thyself in the dust. (Prophets MIC.1.10, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

French, not English. Before a vowel or silent «h», «le» shrinks to «l'»: «l'arbre» (the tree), «l'homme» (the man). Do not confuse it with «la» (feminine the) or «les» (plural the). Gender in French is grammar, not real life: a table is «la table» but a book is «le livre». In English text it is usually in names, so keep the capital: «Le Mans».