French Phrase
Elle a entendu un ragot.
Meaning
She heard a rumor. The sentence implies that she became aware of some gossip, often something unverified or whispered among people.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to mention that someone has picked up a piece of gossip, especially in casual conversation or storytelling about social dynamics.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Elleaentenduunragot
Subject pronoun (Elle)
‘Elle’ is the third‑person singular feminine pronoun meaning ‘she’.
Passé composé with ‘avoir’
The passé composé of most verbs uses ‘avoir’ + past participle; ‘entendre’ becomes ‘entendu’.
Past participle agreement
With ‘avoir’, the past participle agrees with the direct object only if it precedes the verb; here ‘un ragot’ follows, so no agreement.
Indefinite article (un)
‘un’ introduces a masculine singular noun, here ‘ragot’ (a rumor).
Noun ‘ragot’
‘ragot’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘rumor, gossip’. It is often used in informal contexts.
🗨In Conversation
Tu sais ce qui se passe au bureau?
Do you know what's happening at the office?
Oui, elle a entendu un ragot sur la promotion de Marc.
Yes, she heard a rumor about Marc's promotion.
✕Common Mistakes
Elle a entendue un ragot.
Do not use ‘entendue’ because the past participle does not agree with ‘elle’ when the direct object follows the verb.
Elle a entendu une ragot.
‘Ragot’ is masculine; avoid using the feminine article ‘une’.
Elle est entendu un ragot.
The auxiliary must be ‘a’ (from ‘avoir’), not ‘est’ which is used with ‘être’ verbs.
↔Alternatives
Elle a entendu une rumeur.
She heard a rumor.
Elle a entendu parler d'un ragot.
She heard about a rumor.
On lui a soufflé un ragot.
Someone fed her a rumor.
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘ragot’ is slightly more colloquial than ‘rumeur’. It often carries a nuance of something juicy or scandalous being whispered behind someone's back. Be mindful of the register: use it with friends or in informal storytelling, but avoid it in formal reports.