A1 French GrammarAdjectives
Use French adjectives correctly with gender and number agreement, placement rules, and common irregular forms.
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1Gender Agreement
French adjectives agree with the noun in gender. Add -e to make feminine (unless already ending in -e).
Masculine to Feminine
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
| petit | petite | small |
| grand | grande | big/tall |
| content | contente | happy |
| joli | jolie | pretty |
Examples
Le garçon est grand.
The boy is tall.
masculine form
La fille est grande.
The girl is tall.
feminine adds -e
Il est content.
He is happy.
masculine
Elle est contente.
She is happy.
feminine adds -e
2Number Agreement
Adjectives also agree in number. Add -s for plural (unless already ending in -s or -x).
Plural Formation
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| petit | petits | small (m. pl.) |
| petite | petites | small (f. pl.) |
| heureux | heureux | happy (same) |
| beau | beaux | beautiful |
Examples
Les garçons sont grands.
The boys are tall.
masculine plural
Les filles sont grandes.
The girls are tall.
feminine plural
Ils sont heureux.
They are happy.
-eux stays same
Les gâteaux sont beaux.
The cakes are beautiful.
beau → beaux
3Adjective Placement
Most French adjectives come after the noun. Some common ones (BANGS: beauty, age, number, goodness, size) come before.
Before vs After
| Before (BANGS) | After (most others) |
|---|---|
| beau (beautiful) | français (French) |
| vieux (old) | rouge (red) |
| petit (small) | intéressant (interesting) |
| bon (good) | fatigué (tired) |
Examples
C'est une belle maison.
It's a beautiful house.
belle before noun
C'est une voiture rouge.
It's a red car.
rouge after noun
J'ai un vieux livre.
I have an old book.
vieux before noun
J'ai lu un livre intéressant.
I read an interesting book.
intéressant after noun
4Irregular Adjectives
Some common adjectives have irregular feminine forms or change before vowels.
Common Irregular Forms
| Masc. | Masc. (vowel) | Fem. | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| beau | bel | belle | beautiful |
| nouveau | nouvel | nouvelle | new |
| vieux | vieil | vieille | old |
| bon | - | bonne | good |
Examples
C'est un bel appartement.
It's a beautiful apartment.
bel before vowel
J'ai une bonne idée.
I have a good idea.
bon → bonne
C'est un vieil homme.
He's an old man.
vieil before vowel
Elle porte une nouvelle robe.
She's wearing a new dress.
nouveau → nouvelle
Practice Exercises
3 exercises
What is the feminine form of 'grand' (big/tall)?
Which is correct: 'une voiture ___' (a red car)?
Which is correct: 'un ___ appartement' (a beautiful apartment)?
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