Les adjectifs

You already know quite a bit about adjectives in French.

Here are a few of the most important facts:
1. Most adjectives come AFTER the noun that thy modify.
une classe intéressante un prof sympa
1. Adjectives have to agree with the noun that they
modify, or describe.
2. There are four different forms of adjectives.
masculine singular masculine plural
feminine singular feminine plural
 Les 4 formes des adjectifs
Here are the endings for these four forms of
adjectives:

Masculine singular masculine plural

----- s
feminine singular feminine plural
e es
 Les adjectifs irréguliers
Of course, there are LOTS of adjectives that have irregular forms in
the feminine. Here are some of the rules that you have already
learned.

1. Adjectives that end in -e in the masculine singular form do NOT add

another e for the feminine form.
timide --> timide

2. But, if the adjective ends in é, then you do add another e for the
feminine form.
âgé --> agée

3. Many adjectives double the final consonant for the feminine.

mignon --> mignonne gros --> grosse
canadien --> canadienne italien --> italienne
 Les adjectifs irréguliers
• If the adjective in the masculine singular form ends in an
-s, you do not add anything in the masculine plural form.
Exemple: gris grise gris grises

• If --> ive
sportif --> sportive

• Eux --> euse

sérieux --> sérieuse
généreux --> généreuse
 Ces adjectifs ne changent pas.
These adjectives NEVER CHANGE.
• A few adjectives NEVER change. This means you
never have to worry about making them feminine
or plural - they are always spelled the same way.

marron - brown (hair) orange

cool sympa
super
 Adjectives that come BEFORE the
noun!!!!!
• There is a group of short
adjectives that come before
the noun. We use an
acronym to remember them:
BANGS
 BANGS
Beauty beautiful beau(bel)** beaux belle belles
pretty joli jolis jolie jolies

Age young jeune jeunes jeune jeunes

old vieux (vieil)** vieux vieille vieilles

new nouveau(nouvel) ** nouveaux nouvelle nouvelles

Numbers all numbers come before the noun

Goodness good bon bons bonne bonnes

bad mauvais mauvais mauvaise mauvaises

Size big grand grands grande grandes

little petit petits petite petites
 Beau, vieux, nouveau
• 2. These adjectives have a special form for MASCULINE SINGULAR + VOWEL

• ADJ. MASC. SING. MASC. SING. FEM. SING. MASC. PL. FEM. PL.
+ VOWEL
• beautiful,
• good-looking beau bel belle beaux belles

• old vieux vieil vieille vieux vieilles

• new nouveau nouvel nouvelle nouveaux

nouvelles

• Exemples:

• handsome, un beau garçon un bel homme une belle femme de beaux hommes de belles femmes
• good-looking,
• beautiful

• old un vieux livre un vieil acteur une vieille maison de vieux livres de vieilles maisons

• New un nouveau film un nouvel ami une nouvelle amie de nouveaux films de nouvelles amies
•
 Some other special things…….
• To make beau and nouveau plural, you
must ADD AN X.
beau --> beaux
nouveau --> nouveaux
Vieux already ends in an -x in the masc.
Singular form, so you do not have to do
anything to it in the masc. plural form.
• Des changes to de when you have a plural
adjective before a plural noun. Look at these
exemples:
de vieux livres (some old books)
de nouveaux films (some new movies)
de beaux hommes (some handsome men)
de belles femmes (some beautiful women)
 Révision
• Most adjectives come after the noun that they modify.
• Adjectives have to agree with the noun - masculine singular, masculine plural,
feminine singular, feminine plural
• Some short nouns come before the noun - we call these BANGS adjectives
• BEAUTY beau (bel) belle beaux belles
joli jolie jolis jolies
AGE jeune jeune jeunes
jeunes
vieux (vieil) vieille vieux vieilles
nouveau (nouvel) nouvelle nouveaux
nouvelles
NUMBERS
GOODNESS bon bonne bons bonnes
mauvais mauvaise mauvais
mauvaises
SIZE grand grande grands grandes