Adjectives in French – Les Adjectifs

An adjective is a word that describes a noun in some way, such as its size, colour, shape, character etc. It tells us more about the noun. 

English and French adjectives differ significantly in two ways:

1. Different forms of an Adjective

As we have learnt french nouns have gender and as adjectives modify or describe the nouns they have to change to agree in gender and number with the nouns that they modify. Thus we may have up to four forms of each adjective.

Let’s take an example to understand this – adjective: joli (pretty)

Masculine singular:   joli	Un joli papillon(m)- a pretty butterfly
Feminine singular:  jolie	Une jolie fille – A pretty girl
Masculine plural:   jolis	Des jolis papillons – Some pretty butterflies
Feminine plural:   jolies	Des jolies filles – Some pretty girls

2. Placement of Adjectives

Adjectives are always positioned in front of nouns in English, in French they are typically found after the nouns.

Examples

•  un livre vert – green book
• un professeur intelligent – smart teacher
•  une table ronde – round table
• un livre noir – black book
• une femme américaine – American woman

The majority of adjectives come after the word they modify. These descriptors include those that define things like personality and mood as well as shape, colour, taste, nationality etc

However, there are exceptions to this rule and most descriptive adjectives are placed before the noun they modify.

• Une jolie fille
• Un grand garçon
• Une belle maison
• Un vieil homme
• Un petit verre

Some of the commonly used adjectives that appear before the noun are:

Appearance: beau (handsome), belle(beautiful),joli (pretty)

Age: jeune (young), vieux (old), nouveau (new), 

Character: bon (good), meilleur (better), mauvais (bad), gentil (kind)

Size: petit (small), haut (high), gros (fat)

All adjectives must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify. Most adjectives are given in the masculine form, so to change to the féminine form, follow these rules: 

	Rules to change adjectives from masculine to féminine	masculine	féminine
1	Add -e	grand	grande
2	If it already ends in -e, add nothing	jeune	jeune
3	-eux  and –eur changes to -euse	heureux	heureuse
4	-et changes to -ète	inquiet	inquiète
5	-en changes to -enne	indien	indienne
6	-on changes to -onne	bon	bonne
7	-er changes to -ère	cher	chère
8	-f changes to -ve	sportif	sportive
9	-c changes to -che	blanc	blanche
10	-g changes to -gue	long	longue
11	-oux  changes to -ouse	jaloux	jalouse

List of common Adjectives

	Singular		Plural
Adjective	Masculine	Féminine	Masc.Pl	Fem.Pl
Big/tall	grand	grande	grands	grandes
Small/short	petit	petite	petits	petites
good	bon	bonne	bons	bonnes
bad	mauvais	mauvaise	mauvais	mauvaises
pretty	joli	jolie	jolis	jolies
ugly	laid	laide	laids	laides
fat	gros	grosse	gros	grosses
thin	mince	mince	minces	minces
long	long	longue	longs	longues
short	court	courte	courts	courtes
low	bas	basse	bas	basses
wide	large	large	larges	larges
narrow	étroit	étroite	étroits	étroites
cute	mignon	mignonne	mignons	mignonnes
naughty	méchant	méchante	méchants	méchantes
kind	gentil	gentille	gentils	gentilles
nice	sympathique	sympathique	sympathiques	sympathiques
rude	impoli	impolie	impolis	impolies
intelligent	intelligent	intelligente	intelligents	intelligentes
stupid	bête	bête	bêtes	bêtes
funny	amusant	amusante	amusants	amusantes
thick	épais	épaisse	épais	épaisses

Download the complete list of adjectives

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From Parisian Patisserie

French patisserie, or pastry, is renowned worldwide for its exquisite craftsmanship and delectable creations. It represents a rich and vibrant culinary tradition deeply ingrained in French culture. From the iconic croissant to the delicate macaron, French patisseries offer a wide array of mouthwatering delights. These pastries are meticulously crafted with precision and attention to detail, resulting in both visual and gastronomic masterpieces.

Whether it’s the flaky layers of a mille-feuille, the buttery richness of a pain au chocolat, or the light and airy texture of an éclair, each pastry embodies a perfect balance of flavors and textures. The patisseries themselves are works of art, with their gleaming glass displays showcasing rows of colorful tarts, éclairs, and fruit-filled delights. Stepping into a French patisserie is like entering a world of sweet indulgence and culinary perfection, where every bite is an experience to savor.

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Exercises:

Write the correct form of the adjective in the blank.

1. John est très sportif. Sa sœur Sara n’est pas ______________.
2. Ce livre est lourd. Ces étagères sont _____________.
3. Ce bureau est bas. Cette table est ____________.
4. Cette tour est haute. Ce bâtiment est __________ .
5. Cette boîte est petite. Ce jardin est __________ .
6. Cette fleur est belle. Cet arbre est __________ .
7. Cette voiture est vieille. Ce pont est __________.
8. Ce quartier est nouveau. Cette maison est __________ .
9. Ce vin est bon. Cette soupe est __________ .
10. Ce voisin est sympathique. Cette voisine est __________.
11. Ce garçon est intelligent. Cette fille est __________.
12. Ce livre est mon favori. Cette série est sa  __________.

Translate to French:

1. A white house –
2. A wide road –
3. Black cats –
4. An american girl-
5. A fat cow – 
6. A tall building –
7. Narrow roads –
8. A short skirt –
9. A long dress –
10. Long hair –
11. A cute dog –
12. A kind lady –
13. Young boys –
14. Naughty children –
15. A delicious meal –

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Exceptions to the Above Rules

3. Position of Certain Adjectives

Some adjectives can appear before or after a noun. The meaning of some adjectives changes depending on where they are placed.

Adjective	Meaning if Before	Meaning if After	Examples
ancien/ancienne	former/ex	old	Un ancien président – An ex présidentUne école ancienne- A old school
cher/chère	dear	expensive	Un cher ami- A dear friendUne voiture chère- An expensive car
propre	own	clean	Mon propre chambre-My own roomUne chambre propre- A clean room
vrai/vraie	real/actual	true	Un vrai serpent – A real snakeUne personne vraie – A true person

4. Irregular French adjectives

Many French adjectives have distinct feminine and plural forms, as well as a unique form when they are used in front of a masculine noun that starts with a vowel or a mute H. Examples include:

• un bel homme – a handsome man
• des beaux hommes – some handsome men
• un vieil ami – an old friend 
• une vieille amie(f) – an old friend 

	Singular			Plural
Adjective	masc	vowel/H	fem	masc	fem
beautiful	beau	bel	belle	beaux	belles
new	nouveau	nouvel	nouvelle	nouveaux	nouvelles
crazy	fou	fol	folle	fous	folles
soft	mou	mol	molle	mous	molles
old	vieux	vieil	vieille	vieux	vieilles