Why does les come before nouns?

You're likely thinking of the French definite article "le" (masculine singular) and "les" (plural). It's not that "les" comes *before* nouns, but rather that definite articles always come before the nouns they modify in French.

Here's why:

* Grammatical Structure: French grammar follows a subject-verb-object structure, which means the noun (the object) typically comes after the verb. The definite article serves to identify the specific noun being discussed, and it must precede the noun to clarify its reference.

* Clarity and Meaning: Placing the article before the noun provides clarity and distinguishes the specific noun from other possible nouns. For example, "les livres" (the books) is distinct from "livres" (books in general).

* Historical Roots: The placement of definite articles before nouns is a feature common to many Romance languages, including French, Spanish, and Italian. This practice likely derives from Latin, where articles were also placed before nouns.

So, it's not just "les" that comes before nouns in French, but all definite articles (le, la, l', les) always precede the nouns they modify.