Elision is a linguistic phenomenon in French where a final vowel (most often an e) is omitted when it is followed by a word starting with a vowel or a silent h. This omission is indicated by an apostrophe ('). Elision is common and mandatory with certain words to facilitate pronunciation.
Examples of Elision
- The e in le and je is elided: l'ami (the friend), j'aime (I like), l'université (the university), l'hôtel (the hotel), l'hélicoptère (the helicopter).
- The e in que is elided: qu'il, qu'elle → Qu'est-ce qu'elle fait ? (What is she doing?).
- The e in de and ce is elided: d'un (of a), c'est (it is).
- The i in si is elided only before il and ils: s'il (if he), s'ils (if they).
Importance of Elision
Elision is important for maintaining the rhythm of the sentence in French. It avoids the unpleasant collision of two vowels and facilitates pronunciation.