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la mer
sea
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How do you say mer in French?
How do you pronounce mer in French?
mer is pronounced /la mɛʁ/ in French.
Example sentences
La mer est calme aujourd'hui, mais elle devient dangereuse quand elle est agitée.
The sea is calm today, but it becomes dangerous when it is rough. (Feminine agreement: 'la' article, 'calme' adjective, 'elle' pronoun, 'agitée' adjective all feminine)
Cette belle mer méditerranéenne attire de nombreux touristes chaque année.
This beautiful Mediterranean sea attracts many tourists every year. (Feminine agreement: 'Cette' feminine demonstrative, 'belle' feminine adjective, 'méditerranéenne' feminine adjective)
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Why is it feminine?
Mer (sea) is feminine in French. It derives from Latin "mare," which was neuter in classical Latin. During the evolution from Latin to Old French, the neuter gender was lost. Latin neuter nouns ending in "-e" (like mare) typically developed an -e ending in Old French phonetics, which became associated with feminine gender in French. This phonetic change, combined with the natural sound of the word in Old French, contributed to "mer" becoming feminine. However, this is not a reliable rule, as many Latin neuter nouns became masculine in French instead.
What is the French word for sea?
The French word for sea is la mer — feminine.
Gender across languages
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