What Are Adjectives?
Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. In French, adjectives provide information about qualities, quantities, or states of the noun they accompany.
Unlike English, French adjectives must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they describe.
Un chat noir
[œ̃ ʃa nwaʁ]
A black cat (masculine singular)
Une maison blanche
[yn mɛzɔ̃ blɑ̃ʃ]
A white house (feminine singular)
Gender and Number Agreement
In French, adjectives change their endings to match the gender and number of the noun. Usually, the feminine form is created by adding -e to the masculine form, and plurals by adding -s.
| Form | Example (masc. sing.) | Example (fem. sing.) | Example (masc. pl.) | Example (fem. pl.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective | petit | petite | petits | petites |
Un garçon intelligent
[œ̃ ɡaʁsɔ̃ ɛ̃tɛliʒɑ̃]
An intelligent boy (masculine singular)
Une fille intelligente
[yn fij ɛ̃tɛliʒɑ̃t]
An intelligent girl (feminine singular)
Placement of Adjectives
Most French adjectives come after the noun they describe, unlike English where adjectives usually precede the noun. However, some common adjectives come before the noun, especially those related to beauty, age, goodness, and size (often remembered by the acronym BAGS).
Un livre intéressant
[œ̃ livʁ ɛ̃tɛʁesɑ̃]
An interesting book
Une belle femme
[yn bɛl fam]
A beautiful woman
Note that placement can change the meaning:
Un grand homme
[œ̃ ɡʁɑ̃ ɔm]
A great man
Un homme grand
[œ̃ ɔm ɡʁɑ̃]
A tall man
Common Irregular Adjectives
Some French adjectives have irregular feminine or plural forms. It's important to memorize these exceptions as they do not follow the usual patterns.
| Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| beau (beautiful) | belle | beaux | belles |
| nouveau (new) | nouvelle | nouveaux | nouvelles |
| vieux (old) | vieille | vieux | vieilles |
Un beau jardin
[œ̃ bo ʒaʁdɛ̃]
A beautiful garden
Une vieille maison
[yn vjɛj mɛzɔ̃]
An old house
Comparatives and Superlatives
To compare adjectives in French, use plus (more), moins (less), and aussi (as) before the adjective. The superlative is formed by adding le/la/les plus (the most) or le/la/les moins (the least) before the adjective.
Marie est plus intelligente que Paul.
[maʁi ɛ plyz‿ɛ̃tɛliʒɑ̃t kə pol]
Marie is more intelligent than Paul.
Ce film est le plus intéressant.
[sə film ɛ lə plyz‿ɛ̃tɛʁesɑ̃]
This movie is the most interesting.
Note that the definite article (le, la, or les) agrees with the noun.
Forms and Endings
French adjectives can have different endings depending on their root and origin. The most common endings are:
- -eux / -euse: For adjectives like heureux (happy)
- -if / -ive: For adjectives like sportif (athletic)
- -er / -ère: For adjectives like cher (expensive)
Here are some examples:
Un garçon heureux / Une fille heureuse
[œ̃ ɡaʁsɔ̃ øʁø / yn fij øʁøz]
A happy boy / A happy girl
Un homme sportif / Une femme sportive
[œ̃‿ɔm spɔʁtif / yn fam spɔʁtiv]
An athletic man / An athletic woman
Un cadeau cher / Une idée chère
[œ̃ kado ʃɛʁ / yn ide ʃɛʁ]
An expensive gift / An expensive idea
Practice Examples
Try identifying the adjective and checking its agreement with the noun in these sentences:
Les fleurs rouges sont belles.
[le flœʁ ʁuʒ sɔ̃ bɛl]
The red flowers are beautiful.
Un petit garçon joue dans le jardin.
[œ̃ pəti ɡaʁsɔ̃ ʒu dɑ̃ lə ʒaʁdɛ̃]
A little boy is playing in the garden.
Cette robe est plus jolie que l’autre.
[sɛt ʁɔb ɛ ply ʒoli kə lotʁ]
This dress is prettier than the other one.
Check if the adjectives agree in gender and number, and note the placement.
Tips for Remembering Rules
- Remember the acronym BAGS (Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size) for adjectives that usually come before the noun.
- Always check the gender of the noun first to select the correct adjective form.
- When in doubt, add an -e for feminine and -s for plural, but watch for irregular forms.
- Practice with common irregular adjectives like beau, nouveau, and vieux to become familiar with their forms.
- Use comparatives and superlatives to express differences and extremes with adjectives.