un petit garçon – a little boy

Question

un vieil arbre – an old tree
un nouveau gazon – a new lawn
un beau jour d’été – a beautiful summer day
4
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Insert the correct form of the given adjectives into the correct place in these sentences. The noun is given in italics:
1. J’ai fait un voyage (long) J'ai fait un long voyage.
2. C’est la fois que je t’écris (dernier) C'est la dernière fois que j'écris
3. Amanda est une fille (joli) Amanda est une jolie fille.
4. C’est une faute (petit) C'est une faute petite.
How are we supposed to know which way the word goes. before or after

Answer 1

In French, the placement of adjectives can depend on several factors, including the type of adjective and the meaning you wish to convey. Here's a general guide:

1. BAGS Adjectives: Some adjectives typically go before the noun. These are often referred to by the acronym BAGS (Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size). For instance:

   • beau (beautiful)
   • vieux (old)
   • jeune (young)
   • bon (good)
   • mauvais (bad)
   • grand (tall, big)
   • petit (small, little)
   • nouveau (new)

   Examples:

   • un beau jour (a beautiful day)
   • un vieux arbre (an old tree)
   • une jolie fille (a pretty girl)
   • un nouveau gazon (a new lawn)

2. Other Adjectives: Most other adjectives usually come after the noun.

   • Examples:
   • un livre (book) intéressant (interesting) = un livre intéressant
   • une voiture (car) rapide (fast) = une voiture rapide

3. Meaning Changes: The position of some adjectives can change the meaning. For example:

   • un homme pauvre (a poor man — lacking money)
   • un pauvre homme (a poor man — evokes pity)

Following these guidelines should help you determine where to place adjectives in French sentences.