Les Adjectifs
What is an adjective? An adjective is a word that modifies a noun by describing it in some way: Shape Color Size Nationality
French adjectives are different from English adjectives in two ways:
1. French adjectives change to agree in gender and number with the nouns that they modify, which means there can be up to four forms of each adjective: Adjective: joli (pretty) Masculine singular joli Feminine singular jolie Masculine plural jolis Feminine plural jolies
2. In English, adjectives are always found in front of the noun, but most French adjectives follow the noun they modify: un livre vert - green book un professeur intelligent - smart teacher But there are some French adjectives that precede the noun: un beau garçon - handsome boy un petit verre - small glass
B – Beauty -beau/bel/belle/beaux/belles A – Age -nouveau/nouvel/nouvelle/nouveaux/nouvelles N – Numbers -premier/première G - Greatness/Goodness -mauvais/mauvaise S – Size -gros/grosse BANGS: Rule for Writing Adjectives
French adjectives change if they are masculine, feminine, or plural. There can be up to four forms of each adjective! Most French adjectives add E for feminine and S for plural.
SingularPlural Adjective mascvowel/H femmascfem beautiful beaubelbellebeauxbelles newnouveau nouvel nouvelle nouveaux nouvelles crazyfoufolfollefousfolles softmoumolmollemousmolles oldvieuxvieilvieillevieuxvieilles Irregular French Adjectives There are several French adjectives which have irregular feminine and plural forms, as well as a special form when they are placed in front of a masculine noun that begins with a vowel or a mute H: