French Phrase
C'est la bonne porte ?
Meaning
Literally, "Is this the good door?" In everyday English it means "Is this the right door?" The speaker is confirming whether the door they are looking at leads to the intended place.
When to use
Use this question when you arrive at a building, hallway, or apartment complex and need to verify that you are standing in front of the correct entrance.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'estlabonneporte?
C'est (Ce + est)
The contraction "C'" combines the demonstrative pronoun "ce" with the verb "être"; it is used for identification.
Definite article "la"
"la" is the feminine singular definite article, matching the gender of "porte".
Adjective agreement
The adjective "bonne" must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, hence the feminine form "bonne".
Question intonation
In spoken French, a rising intonation at the end signals a yes‑no question; no inversion is needed here.
🗨In Conversation
C'est la bonne porte ?
Is this the right door?
Oui, c'est celle-ci. Vous êtes au bon endroit.
Yes, this is the one. You're in the right place.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est le bonne porte ?
The noun "porte" is feminine; using the masculine article "le" is incorrect.
C'est bonne porte ?
The article "la" cannot be omitted; French requires a definite article before a singular noun in this construction.
Est la bonne porte ?
Without the demonstrative pronoun "c'", the sentence sounds ungrammatical; you need "C'est" for identification.
↔Alternatives
C'est la porte correcte ?
Is this the correct door?
C'est la bonne entrée ?
Is this the right entrance?
C'est la porte qu'il faut prendre ?
Is this the door we need to take?
Cultural Tip
In French, identification questions often use "c'est + noun/adjective" rather than verb‑subject inversion. Remember that "porte" is feminine, so the adjective must be "bonne". In informal speech you might also hear "C’est la bonne porte, non ?" adding a tag question for extra confirmation.