Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Masculine-and-feminine-forms-of-adjectives-—-A-change-in-written,-but-not-spoken"

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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:
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:


Tab1
{| class="wikitable"
 
|
 
|French
|
|English
|-
|
|Masculine 
|Feminine
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | -u 
|absolu 
|absolue 
|absolute
|-
|aigu 
|aiguë 
|high (sound)
|-
|ambigu 
|ambiguë 
|ambiguous
|-
|contigu 
|contiguë 
|contiguous
|}
NB: 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).
NB: 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).




Tab2
{| class="wikitable"
 
|
|French
|
|English
|-
|
|Masculine 
|Feminine
|
|-
| -é 
|fermé 
|fermée 
|closed
|-
| rowspan="3" | -er 
|fier 
|fière 
|proud
|-
|cher 
|chère 
|expensive
|-
|amer 
|amère 
|bitter
|}
NB: In these cases, where the final r is pronounced in the masculine, a grave accent is added to the first written e.
NB: In these cases, where the final r is pronounced in the masculine, a grave accent is added to the first written e.




Tab3
{| class="wikitable"
 
|Last word letter(s)
|French
|
|English
|-
|
|Masculine 
|Feminine
|
|-
| -l
|hardi
|hardie
|bold
|-
|NB: Exception:
|favori
|favorite
|favourite
|-
| rowspan="2" | -c
|public
|publique
|public
|-
|turc
|turque
|Turkish
|-
|NB: c is maintained in:
|grec
|grecque
|Greek
|-
| -ct
|direct
|directe
|direct
|-
| rowspan="2" | -r
|sûr
|sûre
|certain
|-
|pur
|pure
|pure
|-
| -al
|national
|nationale
|national
|-
| rowspan="6" | -el
|général
|générale
|general
|-
|hivernal
|hivernale
|winter
|-
|final
|finale
|final
|-
|personnel
|personnelle 
|personal
|-
|professionnel
|professionnelle 
|professional
|-
|passionnel
|passionnelle 
|emotive
|-
| rowspan="2" | -ul
|cruel
|cruelle 
|cruel
|-
|nul
|nulle 
|no-
|}
NB: In these cases, it is -le which is added and not just -e.
NB: In these cases, it is -le which is added and not just -e.




Tab4
{| class="wikitable"
 
|French
|
|English
|-
|Masculine 
|Feminine
|
|-
|espagnol 
|espagnole 
|Spanish
|-
|puéril
|puérile
|childish
|-
|civil
|civile 
|civil
|}
NB: In these cases the / is pronounced in the masculine.
NB: In these cases the / is pronounced in the masculine.


By contrast in the following adjectives the final -il is pronounced as indicated:
By contrast in the following adjectives the final -il is pronounced as indicated:


Tab5
{| class="wikitable"
|French
|
|English
|-
|Masculine 
|Feminine
|
|-
|gentil [-i]
|gentille [-ij]
|kind
|-
|pareil [-ej]
|pareille [-ej]
|similar
|-
|vermeil [-ej]
|vermeille [-ej]
|bright red
|}

Revision as of 10:08, 20 October 2021

French-Language-PolyglotClub.png
Masculine and feminine forms of adjectives — A change in written, but not spoken, French

General Rule

The general rule is that an -e is added to the masculine form of adjectives to produce the feminine form.


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:

French English
Masculine  Feminine
-u  absolu  absolue  absolute
aigu  aiguë  high (sound)
ambigu  ambiguë  ambiguous
contigu  contiguë  contiguous

NB: 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
-é  fermé  fermée  closed
-er  fier  fière  proud
cher  chère  expensive
amer  amère  bitter

NB: In these cases, where the final r is pronounced in the masculine, a grave accent is added to the first written e.


Last word letter(s) French English
Masculine  Feminine
-l 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-

NB: In these cases, it is -le which is added and not just -e.


French English
Masculine  Feminine
espagnol  espagnole  Spanish
puéril puérile childish
civil civile  civil

NB: In these cases the / is pronounced in the masculine.

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
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