Elision: j', l', qu'
Vowel-initial words swallow the E of je, le, la, and que — learn when and why.
Elision: when je, le, la, or que come right before a word starting with a vowel or a mute h, the final E (or A in la) drops and is replaced by an apostrophe: je aime → j'aime (I love), le ami → l'ami (the friend), que il → qu'il (that he).
Elision is OBLIGATORY, not optional: j'habite (I live), l'heure (the hour), qu'elle (that she).
Trap for English speakers: English never drops a vowel this way, so it's tempting to say 'je habite' as two separate words — French always fuses them: j'habite.
- j'aime — I love — elided (je + aime)
- je regarde — I watch — not elided
- l'ami — the friend — elided
- le frère — the brother — not elided
- qu'il — that he — elided
- que tu — that you — not elided