Which adjectives go before the nouns in French? Give specific examples. What helps you remember this? This is in essay form.

1 answer

In French, adjectives typically go before the nouns they are describing. This is different from English, where adjectives usually come after the noun. For example, in English we say "the red car", but in French it would be "la voiture rouge" with the adjective "rouge" (red) coming before the noun "voiture" (car).

There are some exceptions to this general rule, such as with certain common adjectives like "grand" (big) and "petit" (small), which can be placed before or after the noun depending on the context. For example, you could say "le grand arbre" (the big tree) or "l'arbre grand" (the big tree).

One way to remember this rule is to think of the acronym BANGS, which stands for Beauty, Age, Numbers, Goodness, and Size. Adjectives that fall into these categories are typically placed before the noun in French. For example, "beau chien" (beautiful dog), "nouvelle maison" (new house), "bon vin" (good wine), and "petit garçon" (small boy).

Another helpful tip is to remember that when an adjective expresses a subjective opinion or a distinctive quality, it usually comes before the noun. For example, "une jolie fille" (a pretty girl) or "un vieux livre" (an old book).

Overall, while there may be some exceptions to the rule, placing adjectives before nouns is a common practice in French and can add to the beauty and flow of the language. By remembering the BANGS acronym and the subjective quality guideline, you can more easily determine the correct placement of adjectives in French sentences.