Ouverte

Ouverte is the feminine singular form of the French adjective ouvert (open) and of the past participle of the verb ouvrir (to open) when used with auxiliary verbs in compound tenses or in passive constructions. It denotes something that is not closed or has been opened. As an adjective, ouverte can describe a feminine noun, appearing before or after the noun in sentences such as une porte ouverte or la porte est ouverte.

In grammatical terms, ouvert/e forms agree in gender and number with the noun they modify or with the subject in certain tenses. The masculine forms are ouvert (singular) and ouverts (plural); the feminine forms are ouverte (singular) and ouvertes (plural). With the auxiliary avoir in the passé composé, the past participle typically agrees with a preceding direct object pronoun, so you can see l’ai ouverte (I opened it). In reflexive or passive constructions, the participle agrees with the subject: la porte s’est ouverte, la porte est ouverte.

Common usages include physical openness, such as portes et fenêtres being open, and metaphorical openness in expressions about accessibility or attitude, though the latter often uses ouvert as well, aligned with the subject’s gender. The phrase ouverte au public is a typical way to say something is open to the public when the referring subject is feminine.

Etymology traces ouverte back to the verb ouvrir, which derives from Old French ouvrir and ultimately from Latin aperire, meaning to open. The feminine ending -e marks gender, while the root governs the semantic sense of becoming or being open. Related forms include ouvrir (to open) and ouverture (opening).