Understanding French Adjectives: Agreement and Placement Rules
Introduction
French adjectives are like puzzle pieces that must fit precisely within a sentence. Unlike English, where adjectives remain unchanged regardless of the noun they describe, French adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. This agreement affects their spelling and sometimes their pronunciation, making it a critical aspect of mastering French grammar.
For example, if you want to say "a beautiful house" in French, should you say une beau maison or une belle maison? Understanding how adjectives function in French can elevate your language skills from basic to fluent and help you construct sentences that sound natural to native speakers.
In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about French adjectives, including agreement rules, placement rules, irregular forms, and common pitfalls. By the end, you’ll have a solid grasp of how to use adjectives correctly and confidently in your conversations and writing.
Understanding Adjective Agreement
1. Gender Agreement
In French, every noun has a gender: masculine or feminine. Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe.
Masculine singular: no change (unless irregular)
Feminine singular: typically, add -e
Masculine plural: typically, add -s
Feminine plural: typically, add -es
Examples:
EnglishMasculine SingularFeminine SingularMasculine PluralFeminine PluralSmallpetitpetitepetitspetitesHappyheureuxheureuseheureuxheureusesKindgentilgentillegentilsgentilles
2. Number Agreement
French adjectives also agree in number with the noun they describe. Most adjectives form the plural by adding -s to the singular form, but there are exceptions.
Examples:
Un homme intelligent → Des hommes intelligents (An intelligent man → Intelligent men)
Une femme intelligente → Des femmes intelligentes (An intelligent woman → Intelligent women)
However, some adjectives already end in -s in their singular masculine form and remain unchanged in the plural:
Un choix précis → Des choix précis (A precise choice → Precise choices)
Placement of French Adjectives
1. Adjectives That Come Before the Noun
While most French adjectives come after the noun, a select group of adjectives precedes the noun. These adjectives usually describe beauty, age, goodness, and size (often remembered by the acronym BAGS).
Common Adjectives That Come Before the Noun:
Beauty: beau (beautiful), joli (pretty)
Age: jeune (young), vieux (old), nouveau (new)
Goodness: bon (good), mauvais (bad), meilleur (better)
Size: grand (big), petit (small), long (long)
Examples:
Une belle voiture (A beautiful car)
Un vieux livre (An old book)
Un bon repas (A good meal)
2. Adjectives That Come After the Noun
Most other adjectives follow the noun they describe.
Examples:
Une maison spacieuse (A spacious house)
Un chien intelligent (A smart dog)
Une solution efficace (An effective solution)
3. Adjectives That Change Meaning Depending on Position
Some adjectives change meaning depending on whether they are placed before or after the noun.
Examples:
AdjectiveBefore Noun MeaningAfter Noun MeaningAncien(ne)FormerAncientCher/chèreDearExpensiveGrand(e)GreatTallPauvreUnfortunatePoor (financially)
Un ancien professeur (A former teacher) vs. Un professeur ancien (An ancient teacher)
Un cher ami (A dear friend) vs. Un manteau cher (An expensive coat)
Irregular French Adjectives
Some adjectives have irregular forms that don’t follow the usual rules.
1. Adjectives That Completely Change in Feminine Form
Some adjectives do not simply add -e in the feminine form but instead take on an entirely different spelling.
Masculine SingularFeminine SingularMasculine PluralFeminine PluralBeauBelleBeauxBellesNouveauNouvelleNouveauxNouvellesVieuxVieilleVieuxVieilles
Examples:
Un beau paysage (A beautiful landscape) → Une belle plage (A beautiful beach)
Un vieux bâtiment (An old building) → Une vieille maison (An old house)
2. Adjectives Ending in -eux and -if
Adjectives ending in -eux or -if undergo specific changes in the feminine form.
MasculineFeminineHeureuxHeureuseCurieuxCurieuseSportifSportiveActifActive
Examples:
Un garçon heureux (A happy boy) → Une fille heureuse (A happy girl)
Un homme sportif (A sporty man) → Une femme sportive (A sporty woman)
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
1. Forgetting Agreement
❌ Une voiture bleu → ✅ Une voiture bleue (A blue car)
2. Misplacing the Adjective
❌ Un intelligent garçon → ✅ Un garçon intelligent (A smart boy)
3. Using Incorrect Feminine Forms
❌ Une femme beau → ✅ Une femme belle (A beautiful woman)
Conclusion
French adjectives are essential for expressing descriptions and emotions, but their rules can be tricky. By mastering agreement in gender and number, understanding placement, and recognizing irregular forms, you’ll make your speech and writing more accurate and natural.
Now, it's time to put your knowledge into practice! Try forming sentences with adjectives, paying close attention to agreement and placement. With regular practice, these rules will become second nature. Bonne chance! 🇫🇷