Language/French/Grammar/Adjectives-which-regularly-occur-before-and-after-the-noun,-but-with-a-change-of-meaning
The meaning given to a certain number of adjectives when they occur after a noun and when they occur after the verb être is the same:
- Cette maison est ancienne
It's an old house
But when these adjectives occur before the noun the meaning is different.
Compare:
- La rue est bordée de maisons anciennes
The Street is lined with old(-style) houses
- Son ancienne maison a été détruite
His former house was destroyed
When adjectives occur before the noun they tend to contribute to the meaning of the noun itself. So, un ancien soldat is someone who is 'old in the profession of soldiering', i.e. 'an old (ex-)soldier'. Un gros fumeur is not 'a fat smoker', but 'a heavy smoker' (un fumeur gros is 'a fat smoker').
Common adjectives which have different meanings when they precede or follow nouns are:
| Ancient | un ancien élève | an old boy/girl i.e. (ex-)pupil |
| une maison ancienne | an old house | |
| Brave | un brave type | a nice guy |
| un homme brave | a courageous man | |
| Certain | d'un certain âge | middle-aged |
| une vérité certaine | a certain truth | |
| cher | mon cher ami | my dear friend |
| une robe chère | an expensive dress | |
| chic | un chic type | a nice guy |
| une robe chic | a smart dress | |
| curieux | une curieuse histoire | an odd story |
| une personne curieuse | an inquisitive person | |
| dernier | son dernier livre | his last book (latest) |
| la semaine dernière | last week | |
| drôle | une drôle d'histoire | an odd story |
| une histoire drôle | a funny story | |
| fameux | ton fameux problème | the problem you keep on going on |
| un vin fameux | a delicious wine | |
| franc | une franche idiote | a real idiot |
| une personne franche | a frank person | |
| grand | un grand homme | a great man |
| un homme grand | a tall man | |
| gros | un gros effort | a big effort |
| un homme gros | a fat man | |
| jeune | une jeune femme | a young woman |
| une femme jeune | a woman who is not old | |
| méchant | une méchante histoire | a nasty business |
| une fille méchante | an unpleasant girl | |
| même | toujours les mêmes histoires | always the same stories /problems |
| le jour même | that very day | |
| pauvre | un pauvre homme | a man you feel sorry for |
| un homme pauvre | a man who isn't rich | |
| propre | ma propre chambre | my own bedroom |
| une serviette propre | a clean towel | |
| pure | une pure illusion | a complete illusion |
| de race pure | pure bred | |
| rare | un rare moment de paix | a precious moment of peace |
| un moment rare de l'histoire | an exceptional moment in history | |
| sale | une sale histoire | a nasty business |
| une nappe sale | a dirty tablecloth | |
| seul | le seul inconvénient . .. | the only disadvantage ... |
| un homme seul | a lonely man | |
| simple | une simple question de . .. | simply a matter of... |
| une question simple | an easy question | |
| triste | une triste histoire | a sorry story |
| une histoire triste | a sad story | |
| véritable | un véritable problème | a real problem (serious) |
| un problème véritable | a genuine problem (not invented) | |
| vert | une verte réprimande | a real dressing-down |
| une voiture verte | a green car | |
| vilain | une vilaine action | a bad deed |
| un enfant vilain | an ugly (or naughty) child | |
NB: neuf and nouveau. Ma voiture neuve is likely to be 'my brand new car' (not second-hand), while ma nouvelle voiture is a car which is different from the one I had before (it may or may not be 'brand new'), feu 'late, deceased' can be used in two ways: feu la reine/la feue reine. Both mean 'the late queen', but note that in the first case feu does not agree with reine. Usually limited to legal papers.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Agreement of the past participle following “être” with the subject of a passive
- Should I say "Madame le juge" or "Madame la juge"?
- Ce, and compound forms of être
- Quantifiers — tout and chaque
- Adjectives
- Agreement of the past participle when using “avoir” with a preceding direct object
- subjects objects pronouns
- Feminine Form
- Namesake
- Reflexive pronouns
- Order of multiple pronouns with imperatives
- Subject verb agreement — Verb “être”
- Relations between verbs and their complements
- Reflexive and reciprocal verbs
- Pronominal verbs without a reflexive interpretation