Language/French/Grammar/"de"-when-an-adjective-precedes-the-noun
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French Grammar – The use of de when an adjective precedes the noun
When an adjective precedes the noun, it is customary, at least in written French, to use de and not des:
- Je lui ai offert de jolies roses
I gave her pretty roses
- De gros miroirs comme ça, on n'en voit plus beaucoup
You don't see many large mirrors like that any more
NB: This does not apply when the adjective and the noun are joined in a compound noun or something which is seen as a single unit: des jeunes gens, des jeunes filles, des petits pois, des petites annonces, des grands magasins, des grands jours.