Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Masculine-and-feminine-forms-of-adjectives-—-A-change-in-written,-but-not-spoken"
(Created page with "thumb <div style="font-size:300%"> Masculine and feminine forms of adjectives — A change in written, but not spoken, French </div>...") |
|||
Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
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: | ||
{| 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). | ||
{| 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. | ||
{| 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. | ||
{| 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: | ||
{| 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
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 |