Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Masculine-and-feminine-forms-of-adjectives-—-A-change-in-written,-but-not-spoken"
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<div | <div class="pg_page_title"> Masculine and feminine forms of adjectives — A change in written, but not spoken, French </div> | ||
==General Rule== | ==General Rule== | ||
The general rule is that an -e is added to the masculine form of adjectives to produce the feminine form. | The general rule is that an -e is added to the masculine form of adjectives to produce the feminine form. | ||
== Specific Rules == | == Specific Rules == | ||
| Line 213: | Line 211: | ||
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbT_DbXGoHg</youtube> | <youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbT_DbXGoHg</youtube> | ||
== | ==Other Lessons== | ||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Plural-forms-of-adjectives-—-The-normal-case|Plural forms of adjectives — The normal case]] | * [[Language/French/Grammar/Plural-forms-of-adjectives-—-The-normal-case|Plural forms of adjectives — The normal case]] | ||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Conjugation-group-1-—-verbs-whose-infinitive-ends-in-—er|Conjugation group 1 — verbs whose infinitive ends in —er]] | * [[Language/French/Grammar/Conjugation-group-1-—-verbs-whose-infinitive-ends-in-—er|Conjugation group 1 — verbs whose infinitive ends in —er]] | ||
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* [[Language/French/Grammar/"C'est"-or-"Ce-sont"|"C'est" or "Ce sont"]] | * [[Language/French/Grammar/"C'est"-or-"Ce-sont"|"C'est" or "Ce sont"]] | ||
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Use-of-the-definite-article-with-quantities|Use of the definite article with quantities]] | * [[Language/French/Grammar/Use-of-the-definite-article-with-quantities|Use of the definite article with quantities]] | ||
<span links></span> | |||
Latest revision as of 13:56, 27 March 2023
Masculine and feminine forms of adjectives — A change in written, but not spoken, French
General Rule[edit | edit source]
The general rule is that an -e is added to the masculine form of adjectives to produce the feminine form.
Specific Rules[edit | edit source]
In cases where the masculine form ends in one of the following vowels or consonants, there is a change in the written form but not in the spoken form:
Adjectives ending in -u[edit | edit source]
In the case of aigu, ambigu, contigu, a diaresis (ë) is added to the feminine -e in written French to indicate that the -u sound is maintained in spoken French (aigue would be pronounced rather like English 'egg' otherwise; compare long/longue).
| French | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | ||
| -u | absolu | absolue | absolute |
| aigu | aiguë | high (sound) | |
| ambigu | ambiguë | ambiguous | |
| contigu | contiguë | contiguous | |
Adjectives ending in -é and -er [edit | edit source]
In these cases, where the final r is pronounced in the masculine, a grave accent is added to the first written e.
| French | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | ||
| -é | fermé | fermée | closed |
| -er | fier | fière | proud |
| cher | chère | expensive | |
| amer | amère | bitter | |
Adjectives ending in -i, -c, -ct, -r, -al, -el and -ul[edit | edit source]
In these cases, it is -le which is added and not just -e.
| French | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | ||
| -i | hardi | hardie | bold |
| NB: Exception: | favori | favorite | favourite |
| -c | public | publique | public |
| turc | turque | Turkish | |
| NB: c is maintained in: | grec | grecque | Greek |
| -ct | direct | directe | direct |
| -r | sûr | sûre | certain |
| pur | pure | pure | |
| -al | national | nationale | national |
| -el | général | générale | general |
| hivernal | hivernale | winter | |
| final | finale | final | |
| personnel | personnelle | personal | |
| professionnel | professionnelle | professional | |
| passionnel | passionnelle | emotive | |
| -ul | cruel | cruelle | cruel |
| nul | nulle | no- | |
-l is pronounced in the masculine.[edit | edit source]
In these cases the -l is pronounced in the masculine.
| French | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | |
| espagnol | espagnole | Spanish |
| puéril | puérile | childish |
| civil | civile | civil |
The final -il is pronounced as indicated[edit | edit source]
By contrast in the following adjectives the final -il is pronounced as indicated:
| French | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | |
| gentil [-i] | gentille [-ij] | kind |
| pareil [-ej] | pareille [-ej] | similar |
| vermeil [-ej] | vermeille [-ej] | bright red |
Videos[edit | edit source]
Ask a French Teacher - How Can I Tell if a Noun is Masculine or ...[edit | edit source]
How to identify feminine and masculine in French - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Plural forms of adjectives — The normal case
- Conjugation group 1 — verbs whose infinitive ends in —er
- Conventions for writing cardinal numbers in figures
- Marked use of tu
- Choosing between il est and c'est
- Well Better Worse
- Use of the definite article with parts of the body
- « d'autres » VS « des autres »
- Intransitive verbs and auxiliary “être”
- Agreement of the past participle with the subject of “être”
- How to Use Be
- Auxiliaries
- Plural of Nouns
- "C'est" or "Ce sont"
- Use of the definite article with quantities