Les adjectifs qualificatifs
Agreement in gender and number, and adjective placement
⚡Key points
L’accord en genre (masculin → féminin)
The adjective agrees with the noun. In the feminine, you usually add a -e. If the adjective already ends in -e, it does not change.
Masculine → feminine
| General rule (+e) | grand → grande | big |
| Already in -e | rouge → rouge | red (no change) |
| -eux → -euse | heureux → heureuse | happy |
| -f → -ve | sportif → sportive | sporty |
| -er → -ère | cher → chère | expensive / dear |
Some irregular feminines
To memorise
beau → belle
nouveau → nouvelle
vieux → vieille
blanc → blanche
bon → bonne
💡🔊 The feminine often makes the consonant heard
L’accord en nombre
In the plural, add a (silent) -s to the adjective. Adjectives already ending in -s or -x do not change in the masculine plural.
The plural of adjectives
General rule (+s)
un petit chat → des petits chats
une grande maison → des grandes maisons
-s / -x: unchanged (masc. pl.)
un gros chien → des gros chiens
un homme heureux → des hommes heureux
La place de l’adjectif
In French, most adjectives go after the noun. But a few short, frequent adjectives go before it.
Before or after?
After the noun (most)
une voiture rouge
un livre intéressant
une ville française
Before the noun (short and frequent)
bon, beau, grand, petit, joli, jeune, nouveau, vieux, gros
un petit chat, une belle maison, un bon café
Dialogue: describing
Léa: Do you have a new car? | Max: Yes, a small red car. It is very beautiful! | Léa: And your sister, is she sporty? | Max: Yes, and she is very happy at the moment.