"बिल्ली एक छोटी जानवर है ।"

Translation: The cat is a small animal.

[ZelieZazou]

I have 3 questions about this sentence:

1) As already mentioned by other learners, why is it छोटी as जानवर is masculine?

2) Is it normal that the एक is so hard to hear?

3) Why है, not होती है?

[ScottKBeck]

Okay. I have it from a native speaker. This sentence is in correct and should indeed be "बिल्ली एक छोटा जानवर है।" Not "बिल्ली एक छोटी जानवर है।"

[ZelieZazou]

बहुत धन्यवाद for the detailed explanation :)

[ScottKBeck]

For question 2 I think एक is a bit harder to hear because it is preceded by बिल्ली and the ई at the end of बिल्ली and the ए at the beginning of एक sort of coalesce to the ears of a non-native speaker a bit. That's just my guess. I hear the एक just fine.
For question 3
One could say बिल्ली एक छोटी (I feel like this really should be छोटा) जानवर होती है। But this would be a generalized statement in the singular and would better be translated as "a cat is a small animal" as opposed to "बिल्ली एक छोटी जानवर है।" Which would be better translated as "The cat (a specific one) is a small animal". Generally there is probably some usage overlap here too.

[Bianca17623]

Do I understand it right that even though जानवर is masculine, it is छोटी because बिल्ली is feminine?

[ScottKBeck]

I'm wondering about this too. Since small is modifying the word animal shouldn't it be बिल्ली एक छोटा जानवर है।?

[ScottKBeck]

Okay. I have it from a native speaker. This sentence is in correct and should indeed be "बिल्ली एक छोटा जानवर है।" Not "बिल्ली एक छोटी जानवर है।"

[arpan.mittal4]

Yes whenever you're referring to billi it becomes feminine but when its a billa its masculine so we say voh billa bhaag raha hai not rahi hai.. the gender is given here so you have yo keep it in mind.. also btw I'm an Indian so can count on me

[ScottKBeck]

I really wish we could get an answer about this whole छोटी जानवर vs छोटा जानवर confusions with this sentence.

[ScottKBeck]

Okay. I have it from a native speaker. This sentence is in correct and should indeed be "बिल्ली एक छोटा जानवर है।" Not "बिल्ली एक छोटी जानवर है।"

[cheasoo]

Any blink r here

[Feibio00]

what's fun is that बिल्ली ends with इ sound, while एक starts with ए sound, and nonetheless ए is pronounced like इ and disappears into long इ

[EmmaCharlo673862]

Should have accepted my answer. So many glitches Duo lingo team

[ph.PkTQtu]

Hemlo

[ph.PkTQtu]

Hi

[Dony_Fony]

Cannot it be "A cat is a small animal"? Instead they used "The cat is a small animal" Why cannot we use A instead of The?