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{{French-Page-Top}}
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{| class="wikitable pg_template_nav"  
<div class="pg_page_title">French Grammar → Adjectives and Adverbs → Agreement of Adjectives</div>
 
__TOC__


Agreement of Adjectives
|[[Language/French/Grammar/Futur-Proche|◀️ Futur Proche — Previous Lesson]]
 
|[[Language/French/Grammar/Comparative-and-Superlative-Adjectives|Next Lesson — Comparative and Superlative Adjectives ▶️]]
In French, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. This means that their form changes depending on the gender and number of the noun. In this lesson, you will learn the rules for the agreement of adjectives in French.
 
== Agreement of Adjectives with Singular Nouns ==
 
=== Feminine Singular Nouns ===
 
When an adjective modifies a feminine singular noun, the form of the adjective must be feminine singular. This means that an "e" must be added to the masculine form of the adjective.
 
For example:
 
{| class="wikitable"
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| une voiture rapide || /yn vwa.tyʁ ʁa.pid/ || a fast car
|-
| une grande maison || /yn ɡʁɑ̃d mɛ.zɔ̃/ || a big house
|}
|}
</span>


Note that there are some adjectives that do not add an "e" to form the feminine singular. These adjectives have identical forms for both masculine and feminine.
{{French-Page-Top}}
<div class="pg_page_title">[[Language/French|French]]  → [[Language/French/Grammar|Grammar]] → [[Language/French/Grammar/0-to-A1-Course|0 to A1 Course]] → Adjectives and Adverbs → Agreement of Adjectives</div>


For example:
In the previous lesson, we learned about the formation and use of adjectives in French. We discovered that adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns, and they agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. In this lesson, we will delve deeper into the agreement of adjectives with nouns in French. Understanding and mastering this concept is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences and expressing ourselves accurately in French.


{| class="wikitable"
__TOC__
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| un chat noir || /œ̃ ʃa nwaʁ/ || a black cat
|-
| un chien courageux || /œ̃ ʃjɛ̃ ku.ʁa.ʒø/ || a brave dog
|}
 
=== Masculine Singular Nouns ===
 
When an adjective modifies a masculine singular noun, the form of the adjective must be masculine singular. There is no change to the masculine form of the adjective.
 
For example:


{| class="wikitable"
== Agreement of Adjectives with Nouns ==
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
In French, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. This means that if the noun is feminine, the adjective must also be feminine, and if the noun is plural, the adjective must also be plural. Let's explore the rules and patterns for adjective agreement in more detail.
|-
| un livre intéressant || /œ̃ livʁ ɛ̃.te.ʁɛ.sɑ̃/ || an interesting book
|-
| un homme intelligent || /œ̃ ɔm ɛ̃.te.li.ʒɑ̃/ || an intelligent man
|}


== Agreement of Adjectives with Plural Nouns ==
=== Agreement of Adjectives with Feminine Nouns ===
When an adjective modifies a singular feminine noun, it usually takes an -e ending to agree with the noun. For example:
* Un chat noir (A black cat) - The adjective "noir" ends in -e to agree with the feminine noun "chat."


=== Feminine Plural Nouns ===
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Some adjectives do not change their form when modifying feminine nouns. These adjectives typically end in -e, -é, or -u. For example:
* Un café chaud (A hot coffee) - The adjective "chaud" does not change its form when modifying the feminine noun "café."


When an adjective modifies a feminine plural noun, the form of the adjective must be feminine plural. This means that an "es" must be added to the feminine singular form of the adjective.
=== Agreement of Adjectives with Plural Nouns ===
When an adjective modifies a plural noun, it usually takes an -s ending to agree with the noun. For example:
* Des chiens gentils (Nice dogs) - The adjective "gentils" ends in -s to agree with the plural noun "chiens."


For example:
However, just like with feminine nouns, there are exceptions to this rule. Some adjectives do not change their form when modifying plural nouns. These adjectives typically end in -s or -x. For example:
* Des enfants heureux (Happy children) - The adjective "heureux" does not change its form when modifying the plural noun "enfants."


{| class="wikitable"
=== Agreement of Adjectives with Feminine Plural Nouns ===
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
When an adjective modifies a feminine plural noun, it usually takes an -es ending to agree with the noun. For example:
|-
* Les fleurs rouges (The red flowers) - The adjective "rouges" ends in -es to agree with the feminine plural noun "fleurs."
| des robes vertes || /de ʁɔb vɛʁt/ || green dresses
|-
| des chaussures neuves || /de ʃo.zyʁ nøv/ || new shoes
|}


Note that there are some adjectives that do not add an "es" to form the feminine plural. These adjectives have identical forms for both masculine and feminine.
Similarly to the previous cases, there are exceptions to this rule. Some adjectives do not change their form when modifying feminine plural nouns. These adjectives typically end in -es or -s. For example:
* Les maisons bleues (The blue houses) - The adjective "bleues" does not change its form when modifying the feminine plural noun "maisons."


For example:
=== Agreement of Adjectives with Nouns Beginning with a Vowel ===
When an adjective modifies a noun that begins with a vowel, it takes the masculine singular form, regardless of the gender and number of the noun. For example:
* Un animal intelligent (An intelligent animal) - The adjective "intelligent" retains its masculine singular form, even though the noun "animal" is masculine and singular.


{| class="wikitable"
=== Agreement of Adjectives with Compound Nouns ===
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
When an adjective modifies a compound noun, it agrees in gender and number with the main noun. The main noun is usually the last noun in the compound. For example:
|-
* Un livre franco-américain (A Franco-American book) - The adjective "franco-américain" agrees with the masculine singular noun "livre."
| des chats noirs || /de ʃa nwaʁ/ || black cats
|-
| des chiens courageux || /de ʃjɛ̃ ku.ʁa.ʒø/ || brave dogs
|}


=== Masculine Plural Nouns ===
It's important to note that if the compound noun is made up of a masculine and a feminine noun, the adjective takes the masculine form. For example:
* Une voiture franco-allemande (A Franco-German car) - The adjective "franco-allemande" takes the masculine form, even though the noun "voiture" is feminine.


When an adjective modifies a masculine plural noun, the form of the adjective must be masculine plural. This means that an "s" must be added to the masculine singular form of the adjective.
=== Agreement of Adjectives with Proper Nouns ===
When an adjective modifies a proper noun, it usually takes the masculine singular form. This is because proper nouns are considered gender-neutral in French. For example:
* Le Paris romantique (Romantic Paris) - The adjective "romantique" retains its masculine singular form, even though the noun "Paris" is feminine.


For example:
=== Agreement of Adjectives with Indefinite Pronouns ===
When an adjective modifies an indefinite pronoun, it agrees in gender and number with the noun it replaces. For example:
* Quelques bonnes nouvelles (Some good news) - The adjective "bonnes" agrees with the feminine plural noun "nouvelles" that the indefinite pronoun "quelques" replaces.


{| class="wikitable"
=== Agreement of Adjectives with Numbers ===
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
When an adjective modifies a number, it agrees in gender and number with the noun it quantifies. For example:
|-
* Deux grandes maisons (Two big houses) - The adjective "grandes" agrees with the feminine plural noun "maisons" that the number "deux" quantifies.
| des livres intéressants || /de livʁ ɛ̃.te.ʁɛ.sɑ̃/ || interesting books
|-
| des hommes intelligents || /de ɔm ɛ̃.te.li.ʒɑ̃/ || intelligent men
|}


== Exceptions to the Rules ==
== Exceptions and Irregularities ==
While we have discussed the general rules and patterns for adjective agreement in French, it's important to note that there are exceptions and irregularities. Here are a few common exceptions to be aware of:


There are some irregular adjectives that do not follow the rules for agreement of adjectives in French. Here are a few examples:
* Some adjectives have irregular feminine forms. For example:
** Un grand arbre (A big tree) - Une grande maison (A big house)
** Un bon livre (A good book) - Une bonne idée (A good idea)
** Un gros chien (A big dog) - Une grosse voiture (A big car)


{| class="wikitable"
* Some adjectives have irregular plural forms. For example:
! French !! Pronunciation !! English
** Un nouvel ami (A new friend) - De nouveaux amis (Some new friends)
|-
** Un bel homme (A handsome man) - De beaux paysages (Some beautiful landscapes)
| un bras droit || /œ̃ bʁa dʁwa/ || a right arm (the adjective is always masculine singular)
** Un vieux livre (An old book) - De vieux objets (Some old objects)
|-
| des gens heureux || /de ʒɑ̃z œ.ʁø/ || happy people (the adjective stays the same for masculine and feminine)
|}


== Practice ==
* Some adjectives do not change their form at all. These are called invariable adjectives. For example:
** Un élégant costume (An elegant suit) - Des élégants costumes (Elegant suits)
** Un orange fruit (An orange fruit) - Des orange fruits (Orange fruits)


Now that you understand the rules for the agreement of adjectives, it's time to practice!
It's important to familiarize yourself with these exceptions and irregularities in order to use adjectives correctly in French.


* Modify the following nouns with the correct form of the adjective:
== Practice Exercises ==
To reinforce your understanding of adjective agreement, let's practice with some exercises. For each sentence, choose the correct form of the adjective in parentheses to agree with the noun.


# un garçon triste
1. J'ai acheté une (nouveau / nouvelle) voiture.
# des filles sportives
2. Les (petit / petite) filles jouent dans le parc.
# une journée ensoleillée
3. Il a vu deux (joli / jolie) maisons dans cette rue.
# une maison petite
4. Nous avons mangé des (délicieux / délicieuse) gâteaux.
# des étoiles brillantes
5. Tu as rencontré un (sympathiques / sympathique) professeur de français.
6. Je suis allé à la (beau / belle) plage hier.
7. Les (grands / grandes) arbres du parc sont magnifiques.
8. Elle a commandé une (bon / bonne) soupe à l'oignon.


 
== Conclusion ==
<span class='maj'></span>
Congratulations! You have now mastered the agreement of adjectives with nouns in French. By understanding and applying the rules and patterns we have discussed, you will be able to construct grammatically correct sentences and communicate more effectively in French. In the next lesson, we will explore the formation and use of comparative and superlative adjectives. Keep up the great work!
==Sources==
* [https://www.leaflanguages.org/french-grammar-adjective-agreement/ French Grammar: Adjective Agreement : The LEAF Project]
* [https://chatterbug.com/grammar/french/l-accord-des-adjectifs-i-2b09a3 Agreement of adjectives I • French Grammar • Chatterbug]
* [https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/adjectives/ French Adjectives - Lawless French Grammar - Les adjectifs]


{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=French Grammar: Agreement of Adjectives | Learn French
|title=French Grammar → Adjectives and Adverbs → Agreement of Adjectives
|keywords=French agreement of adjectives, French grammar, French adjectives, French language, French vocabulary
|keywords=French grammar, adjectives, agreement of adjectives, French adjectives, French language, French course, beginner French, A1 French
|description=In this lesson, you will learn the rules for the agreement of adjectives in French. Master the gender and number agreement in French adjectives with our examples and exercises.
|description=In this lesson, you will master the agreement of French adjectives with nouns. Learn the rules and patterns for adjective agreement and practice with exercises.
}}
}}


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[[Category:French-0-to-A1-Course]]
[[Category:French-0-to-A1-Course]]
 
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==Videos==
==Videos==
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==Related Lessons==
 
==Sources==
* [https://www.leaflanguages.org/french-grammar-adjective-agreement/ French Grammar: Adjective Agreement : The LEAF Project]
* [https://chatterbug.com/grammar/french/l-accord-des-adjectifs-i-2b09a3 Agreement of adjectives I • French Grammar • Chatterbug]
* [https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/adjectives/ French Adjectives - Lawless French Grammar - Les adjectifs]
 
 
 
==Other Lessons==
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Directly-transitive-verbs|Directly transitive verbs]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Directly-transitive-verbs|Directly transitive verbs]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Common-Irregular-Verbs|Common Irregular Verbs]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Common-Irregular-Verbs|Common Irregular Verbs]]
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* [[Language/French/Grammar/Gender-of-Nouns-Names-of-ships-and-restaurants|Gender of Nouns Names of ships and restaurants]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Gender-of-Nouns-Names-of-ships-and-restaurants|Gender of Nouns Names of ships and restaurants]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Conjugation-group-3-—-verbs-with-infinitives-which-end-in-—re|Conjugation group 3 — verbs with infinitives which end in —re]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Conjugation-group-3-—-verbs-with-infinitives-which-end-in-—re|Conjugation group 3 — verbs with infinitives which end in —re]]


{{French-Page-Bottom}}
{{French-Page-Bottom}}
<span pgnav>
{| class="wikitable pg_template_nav"
|[[Language/French/Grammar/Futur-Proche|◀️ Futur Proche — Previous Lesson]]
|[[Language/French/Grammar/Comparative-and-Superlative-Adjectives|Next Lesson — Comparative and Superlative Adjectives ▶️]]
|}
</span>

Latest revision as of 22:36, 14 June 2023

◀️ Futur Proche — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Comparative and Superlative Adjectives ▶️

French-Language-PolyglotClub.png
French → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs → Agreement of Adjectives

In the previous lesson, we learned about the formation and use of adjectives in French. We discovered that adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns, and they agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. In this lesson, we will delve deeper into the agreement of adjectives with nouns in French. Understanding and mastering this concept is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences and expressing ourselves accurately in French.

Agreement of Adjectives with Nouns[edit | edit source]

In French, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. This means that if the noun is feminine, the adjective must also be feminine, and if the noun is plural, the adjective must also be plural. Let's explore the rules and patterns for adjective agreement in more detail.

Agreement of Adjectives with Feminine Nouns[edit | edit source]

When an adjective modifies a singular feminine noun, it usually takes an -e ending to agree with the noun. For example:

  • Un chat noir (A black cat) - The adjective "noir" ends in -e to agree with the feminine noun "chat."

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Some adjectives do not change their form when modifying feminine nouns. These adjectives typically end in -e, -é, or -u. For example:

  • Un café chaud (A hot coffee) - The adjective "chaud" does not change its form when modifying the feminine noun "café."

Agreement of Adjectives with Plural Nouns[edit | edit source]

When an adjective modifies a plural noun, it usually takes an -s ending to agree with the noun. For example:

  • Des chiens gentils (Nice dogs) - The adjective "gentils" ends in -s to agree with the plural noun "chiens."

However, just like with feminine nouns, there are exceptions to this rule. Some adjectives do not change their form when modifying plural nouns. These adjectives typically end in -s or -x. For example:

  • Des enfants heureux (Happy children) - The adjective "heureux" does not change its form when modifying the plural noun "enfants."

Agreement of Adjectives with Feminine Plural Nouns[edit | edit source]

When an adjective modifies a feminine plural noun, it usually takes an -es ending to agree with the noun. For example:

  • Les fleurs rouges (The red flowers) - The adjective "rouges" ends in -es to agree with the feminine plural noun "fleurs."

Similarly to the previous cases, there are exceptions to this rule. Some adjectives do not change their form when modifying feminine plural nouns. These adjectives typically end in -es or -s. For example:

  • Les maisons bleues (The blue houses) - The adjective "bleues" does not change its form when modifying the feminine plural noun "maisons."

Agreement of Adjectives with Nouns Beginning with a Vowel[edit | edit source]

When an adjective modifies a noun that begins with a vowel, it takes the masculine singular form, regardless of the gender and number of the noun. For example:

  • Un animal intelligent (An intelligent animal) - The adjective "intelligent" retains its masculine singular form, even though the noun "animal" is masculine and singular.

Agreement of Adjectives with Compound Nouns[edit | edit source]

When an adjective modifies a compound noun, it agrees in gender and number with the main noun. The main noun is usually the last noun in the compound. For example:

  • Un livre franco-américain (A Franco-American book) - The adjective "franco-américain" agrees with the masculine singular noun "livre."

It's important to note that if the compound noun is made up of a masculine and a feminine noun, the adjective takes the masculine form. For example:

  • Une voiture franco-allemande (A Franco-German car) - The adjective "franco-allemande" takes the masculine form, even though the noun "voiture" is feminine.

Agreement of Adjectives with Proper Nouns[edit | edit source]

When an adjective modifies a proper noun, it usually takes the masculine singular form. This is because proper nouns are considered gender-neutral in French. For example:

  • Le Paris romantique (Romantic Paris) - The adjective "romantique" retains its masculine singular form, even though the noun "Paris" is feminine.

Agreement of Adjectives with Indefinite Pronouns[edit | edit source]

When an adjective modifies an indefinite pronoun, it agrees in gender and number with the noun it replaces. For example:

  • Quelques bonnes nouvelles (Some good news) - The adjective "bonnes" agrees with the feminine plural noun "nouvelles" that the indefinite pronoun "quelques" replaces.

Agreement of Adjectives with Numbers[edit | edit source]

When an adjective modifies a number, it agrees in gender and number with the noun it quantifies. For example:

  • Deux grandes maisons (Two big houses) - The adjective "grandes" agrees with the feminine plural noun "maisons" that the number "deux" quantifies.

Exceptions and Irregularities[edit | edit source]

While we have discussed the general rules and patterns for adjective agreement in French, it's important to note that there are exceptions and irregularities. Here are a few common exceptions to be aware of:

  • Some adjectives have irregular feminine forms. For example:
    • Un grand arbre (A big tree) - Une grande maison (A big house)
    • Un bon livre (A good book) - Une bonne idée (A good idea)
    • Un gros chien (A big dog) - Une grosse voiture (A big car)
  • Some adjectives have irregular plural forms. For example:
    • Un nouvel ami (A new friend) - De nouveaux amis (Some new friends)
    • Un bel homme (A handsome man) - De beaux paysages (Some beautiful landscapes)
    • Un vieux livre (An old book) - De vieux objets (Some old objects)
  • Some adjectives do not change their form at all. These are called invariable adjectives. For example:
    • Un élégant costume (An elegant suit) - Des élégants costumes (Elegant suits)
    • Un orange fruit (An orange fruit) - Des orange fruits (Orange fruits)

It's important to familiarize yourself with these exceptions and irregularities in order to use adjectives correctly in French.

Practice Exercises[edit | edit source]

To reinforce your understanding of adjective agreement, let's practice with some exercises. For each sentence, choose the correct form of the adjective in parentheses to agree with the noun.

1. J'ai acheté une (nouveau / nouvelle) voiture. 2. Les (petit / petite) filles jouent dans le parc. 3. Il a vu deux (joli / jolie) maisons dans cette rue. 4. Nous avons mangé des (délicieux / délicieuse) gâteaux. 5. Tu as rencontré un (sympathiques / sympathique) professeur de français. 6. Je suis allé à la (beau / belle) plage hier. 7. Les (grands / grandes) arbres du parc sont magnifiques. 8. Elle a commandé une (bon / bonne) soupe à l'oignon.

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

Congratulations! You have now mastered the agreement of adjectives with nouns in French. By understanding and applying the rules and patterns we have discussed, you will be able to construct grammatically correct sentences and communicate more effectively in French. In the next lesson, we will explore the formation and use of comparative and superlative adjectives. Keep up the great work!

Table of Contents - French Course - 0 to A1[edit source]


Alphabet and Pronunciation


Nouns and Articles


Verbs and Tenses


Adjectives and Adverbs


Negation and Interrogation


Numbers and Time


Family and Relationships


Food and Drink


Hobbies and Interests


Geography and Travel


French Culture and Arts


French History and Society

Videos[edit | edit source]

French adjective agreement basic - YouTube[edit | edit source]

French Adjectives 3 - Adjectives and Agreements - YouTube[edit | edit source]

French Lesson 94 - Adjectives Singular Plural Agreement Rules ...[edit | edit source]


Sources[edit | edit source]


Other Lessons[edit | edit source]



◀️ Futur Proche — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Comparative and Superlative Adjectives ▶️

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