French Phrase
Ce paquet est trop lourd ?
Meaning
Literally, 'Is this package too heavy?'. The speaker is asking whether the weight of the parcel exceeds a comfortable or allowed limit.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are handling a parcel at the post office, a delivery service, or while helping a friend move. It works in informal conversation; in a more formal setting you might use the inverted form 'Ce paquet est‑il trop lourd ?'.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Cepaquetesttroplourd?
Ce (demonstrative adjective)
Ce is used before a masculine singular noun to point out something specific, like 'this' or 'that' in English.
paquet (masculine noun)
Paquet means 'package' or 'parcel' and is masculine, so adjectives must agree in gender and number.
est (être, 3rd person singular)
The verb être is conjugated as est for he/she/it. It links the subject to the adjective.
trop (adverb of excess)
Trop means 'too' or 'excessively' and modifies the adjective that follows.
lourd (adjective, masculine singular)
Lourd means 'heavy'. Because paquet is masculine singular, the adjective stays in its base form.
Question intonation vs. inversion
In spoken French you can turn a statement into a question simply by raising your intonation at the end; the formal written form would be 'Ce paquet est‑il trop lourd ?'.
🗨In Conversation
Ce paquet est trop lourd ?
Is this package too heavy?
Oui, il faut le mettre dans un autre camion.
Yes, we need to put it in another truck.
✕Common Mistakes
Ce paquet sont trop lourd.
The verb must agree with the singular subject 'paquet', so use 'est' not 'sont'.
Ce paquet est trop lourds.
Lourd must stay singular because the noun is singular; do not add the plural -s.
Ce paquet c’est trop lourd.
Use 'est' (être) after a noun, not the contraction 'c’est', which would refer to a concept, not the package itself.
Ce paquet est trop lourde.
Lourd must agree in gender with 'paquet' (masculine), so keep the masculine form.
↔Alternatives
Ce colis est‑il trop lourd ?
Is this parcel too heavy?
Ce paquet pèse‑t‑il trop ?
Does this package weigh too much?
Ce sac est trop lourd ?
Is this bag too heavy?
Cultural Tip
In everyday French, turning a statement into a question by raising your voice is perfectly natural, especially in informal contexts. However, in written or formal spoken French you’ll often see the inversion 'est‑il' after the noun. Also, be aware that 'trop' can sound a bit judgmental; if you want to be more polite you can say 'Ce paquet est un peu lourd, non ?' (This package is a little heavy, isn’t it?).