A2 French GrammarAdjective Endings
Master French adjective agreement for gender and number. Adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify, changing endings based on masculine/feminine and singular/plural. Learn regular patterns, common irregular adjectives, and special forms like beau/bel/belle. Essential for accurate description in French.
Practice in interactive stories
With instant translation and audio
1Regular Adjective Agreement
Most French adjectives follow a regular pattern: add -e for feminine, -s for masculine plural, -es for feminine plural. The base form is masculine singular: petit → petite → petits → petites. If the masculine already ends in -e, the feminine is the same: rouge → rouge. The -s is silent but essential in writing.
Regular Agreement Pattern
| Masc Sing | Fem Sing | Masc Plur | Fem Plur | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| petit | petite | petits | petites | small |
| grand | grande | grands | grandes | big/tall |
| intelligent | intelligente | intelligents | intelligentes | intelligent |
| rouge | rouge | rouges | rouges | red |
Examples
Le petit garçon / La petite fille
The small boy / The small girl
petit → petite (add -e)
Les grandes maisons
The big houses
grande + s = grandes
Une robe rouge
A red dress
rouge stays the same (ends in -e)
Des hommes intelligents
Intelligent men
masculine plural + s
2Special Feminine Forms
Some adjectives have irregular feminine forms. Adjectives ending in -eux change to -euse: heureux → heureuse. Those ending in -f change to -ve: actif → active. Adjectives ending in -er change to -ère: premier → première. These patterns are predictable once learned.
Feminine Form Patterns
| Masculine | Feminine | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| heureux | heureuse | -eux → -euse | happy |
| actif | active | -f → -ve | active |
| premier | première | -er → -ère | first |
| bon | bonne | double consonant + e | good |
| ancien | ancienne | -en → -enne | old/former |
Examples
Il est heureux. Elle est heureuse.
He is happy. She is happy.
-eux → -euse
Un homme actif, une femme active
An active man, an active woman
-f → -ve
Le premier jour, la première semaine
The first day, the first week
-er → -ère
Un bon ami, une bonne amie
A good friend (m), a good friend (f)
bon doubles the -n
3Irregular Adjectives (beau, nouveau, vieux)
Three common adjectives have special forms before masculine singular nouns starting with a vowel or silent h: beau → bel, nouveau → nouvel, vieux → vieil. This makes pronunciation smoother. The feminine forms are belle, nouvelle, vieille. These are among the most used adjectives in French.
Beau, Nouveau, Vieux
| Before consonant | Before vowel/h | Feminine | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| beau | bel | belle | beautiful/handsome |
| nouveau | nouvel | nouvelle | new |
| vieux | vieil | vieille | old |
Examples
Un beau garçon, un bel homme
A handsome boy, a handsome man
bel before vowel sound
Une belle femme
A beautiful woman
belle = feminine
Un nouvel appartement
A new apartment
nouvel before a-
Un vieil ami, une vieille amie
An old friend (m), an old friend (f)
vieil before vowel, vieille = fem
4Adjective Position
Most French adjectives come after the noun: une voiture rouge. However, common adjectives like beau, bon, grand, petit, jeune, vieux, nouveau, and mauvais come before the noun: une belle voiture. Some adjectives change meaning based on position: un grand homme (great man) vs un homme grand (tall man).
BAGS Adjectives (Before Noun)
| Type | Examples | Position | Example Phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty | beau, joli | Before | une jolie maison |
| Age | jeune, vieux, nouveau | Before | un jeune homme |
| Goodness | bon, mauvais | Before | un bon livre |
| Size | grand, petit, gros | Before | une grande ville |
Examples
Une petite maison blanche
A small white house
petite before, blanche after
C'est un bon restaurant français.
It's a good French restaurant.
bon before, français after
Un ancien collègue (former colleague)
A former colleague
ancien before = former
Un meuble ancien (antique furniture)
Antique furniture
ancien after = old/antique
Practice Exercises
4 exercises
What is the feminine form of 'heureux' (happy)?
What is the feminine form of 'premier' (first)?
What is the feminine form of 'actif' (active)?
Which adjective stays the same for masculine and feminine?
See Real Examples in Stories
Now that you've practiced, see this grammar in context
Practice with A2 Stories
Apply what you learned in interactive stories with instant translations.
Browse A2 Stories