French adjectives agree in gender and number with
the noun they describe. This means that the exact
shape of the adjective will change, depending on
whether the noun is masculine or feminine
(gender) and singular or plural (number). So, in
theory, there are up to four different shapes for
each adjective, e.g.:
masc sing
fem sing
masc pl
fem pl
petit
petite
petits
petites
The feminine form of an adjective is often created by adding an ‘e’ to the masculine form:
grand – grande allemand – allemande
The plural form is most often formed by simply adding an –s to the masculine or feminine form:
grands-grandes allemands – allemandes
A number of masculine adjectives already end in an –e. In these cases, the feminine form remains the same. This also means the two plurals will look the same:
masc sing
fem sing
masc pl
fem pl
calme
calme
calmes
calmes
Here are a few examples of adjectives ending in –e:
calme
tranquille facile
responsable riche
pauvre
1
jeune même autre
Examples:
Son nouvel emploi est ennuyeux – her new job is boring
Ce bel homme est son cousin – this handsome man is her cousin
Ce vieil edifice appartenait à un prince – this old building belonged to a prince.
Your turn! Fill out the feminine singular, masculine plural and feminine plural forms of the following adjectives. If you are unsure of the feminine form, use a dictionary to check the pattern – the feminine form is listed after the masculine entry. For instance: italien, -enne, allemand, -e
For the irregular adjectives, the masculine plural is formed by adding ‘s’ to the masculine singular. You need to look up the feminine singular form (given above) and add an ‘s’ to this for the feminine plural. Make sure you know what all of the words mean and note this.
masc sing
fem sing
masc pl
fem pl
Il est…
Elle est….
Ils sont…
Elles sont…
grand
grande
grands
grandes
riche
riche
riches
riches
séparé
séparée
séparés
séparées
blanc
blanche
blancs
blanches
fatigué
fatiguée
fatigués
fatiguées
bon
bonne
bons
bonnes
naïf
naïve
naifs
naïves
fou
folle
fous
folles
fier
fière
fiers
fières
sec
sèche
secs
sèches
Some adjectives can be used either before or after the noun – however their meaning varies according to their position:
un ancien élève – a former student une ville ancienne – an ancient city un cher ami – a dear friend un bijou cher – an expensive jewel ma propre voiture – my own car ma voiture propre – my clean car
Translate the following:
1. A former colleague (le collègue) - un ancien collègue
2. My dear wife - ma chère femme.
3. A clean house - une maison propre
1 answer
French Adjectives Study Notes
Agreement of Adjectives
French adjectives change based on:
Gender: Masculine or Feminine
Number: Singular or Plural
Examples of Agreement
petit (masc sing), petite (fem sing), petits (masc pl), petites (fem pl)
Forming Feminine and Plural Forms
Feminine Form: Often formed by adding ‘e’ to the masculine form:
grand → grande
allemand → allemande
Plural Form: Generally formed by adding ‘s’ to the adjective:
grands → grandes
allemands → allemandes
Special Cases
Some masculine adjectives end in ‘e’ (e.g., calme), where the feminine form remains the same; thus, feminines and plurals look the same:
calme (masc/fem sing), calmes (masc/fem pl)
Patterns for Other Regular Adjectives
Common patterns for gender changes:
bon → bonne
ancien → ancienne
gentil → gentille
affreux → affreuse
heureux → heureuse
sportif → sportive
neuf → neuve
cher → chère
dernier → dernière
Examples of Regular Adjectives
| Masc Sing | Fem Sing | Masc Pl | Fem Pl |
|-----------|----------|---------|--------|
| gentil | gentille | gentils | gentilles |
Irregular Adjectives
Some need memorization:
blanc → blanche
faux → fausse
fou → folle
frais → fraîche
long → longue
public → publique
sec → sèche
roux → rousse
Irregular Forms Before Vowel
Some adjectives change form when preceding a vowel:
fou → fol (before vowel)
vieux → vieil (before vowel)
nouveau → nouvel (before vowel)
beau → bel (before vowel)
Example Sentences with Adjective Variations
Son nouvel emploi est ennuyeux. (Her new job is boring)
Ce bel homme est son cousin. (This handsome man is her cousin)
Ce vieil édifice appartenait à un prince. (This old building belonged to a prince.)
Structure: Sentence Completion Practice
Il est fatigué. → Elle est fatiguée.
Le pull est gris. → La robe est grise.
Ce camion est japonais. → Cette voiture est japonaise.
Ce roman est mauvais. → Cette nouvelle est mauvaise.
C’est un film français. → C’est une émission française.
Adjective Positioning
General Rule:
Adjectives usually come after the noun in French:
Examples: les plats italiens, les chaussures noires
BANGS Adjectives:
Certain adjectives precede the noun (BANGS):
Beauty: joli (jolie), beau (belle)
Age: jeune, nouveau (nouvelle), vieux (vieille)
Numbers: premier (première), deuxième, troisième, dernier (dernière)
Goodness: mauvais (mauvaise), bon (bonne)
Size: grand (grande), petit (petite), gros (grosse), long (longue), court (courte)
Example Sentences:
un petit garçon – a little boy
un vieil arbre – an old tree
un nouveau gazon – a new lawn
un beau jour d’été – a beautiful summer day
Meaning Change Based on Position
Some adjectives' meanings shift depending on their placement:
1 answer