Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Adjectives"
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*un homme pauvre = a poor man | *un homme pauvre = a poor man | ||
*un pauvre homme = a poor man | *un pauvre homme = a poor man | ||
Warning: in most cases adjective placement will be imposed by usage. We'll say "une grande ville" (a big city) and not "<s>une ville grande</s>". Same when there is more than one adjective, example: we say "un beau ciel bleu" (a nice blue sky) never say "<s>un beau bleu ciel</s>" ! In some cases where usage allow the adjective to be placed before or after the noun the meaning might be slightly different, in the example above "un homme pauvre" definitely means a man who is not wealthy when "pauvre homme" has a broader meaning and can be used for a man who is unfortunate or unlucky or unhappy: "le pauvre homme! Il a perdu sa femme" (Poor guy! He lost his wife). | |||
==Singular== | ==Singular== |
Revision as of 17:09, 27 February 2023
Bonjour ! French learners,
In this article you will discover how to use adjectives in French.
As we know adjectives are those words that add information about the name they accompany.
- le chien est rapide = the dog is fast
- le chien blanc est rapide = the white dog is fast
Sentense construction
Construct sentences with adjectives is very simple:
- Ce vélo est rapide = This bike is fast.
- Le ciel est bleu = The sky is blue
Adjectives are placed in front or behind a name:
- un homme pauvre = a poor man
- un pauvre homme = a poor man
Warning: in most cases adjective placement will be imposed by usage. We'll say "une grande ville" (a big city) and not "une ville grande". Same when there is more than one adjective, example: we say "un beau ciel bleu" (a nice blue sky) never say "un beau bleu ciel" ! In some cases where usage allow the adjective to be placed before or after the noun the meaning might be slightly different, in the example above "un homme pauvre" definitely means a man who is not wealthy when "pauvre homme" has a broader meaning and can be used for a man who is unfortunate or unlucky or unhappy: "le pauvre homme! Il a perdu sa femme" (Poor guy! He lost his wife).
Singular
- le grand bâtiment = the large building
- la grande ville = the big city
- un grand appartement = a large apartment
Plural
- les grands bâtiments = the large buildings
- les grandes villes = the big cities
- de grands appartements = large apartments
Another thing to consider is that the plural article "des" becomes "de" when it is before the adjective:
- Mon bâtiment a de grands appartements = My building has large apartments.
Feminine
The feminine of adjectives is formed by adding the ending "e" to the masculine adjective. However, there are some exceptions. Look at The Adjective. Women's training to learn more about this.
Examples
Here is a list of the most common adjectives, with their feminine :
Masculin | Feminin | Masculin | Feminin | Traduction |
---|---|---|---|---|
beau - bel
'bel' replaces 'beau' in front of a singular masculine noun starting with a vowel sound or a silent "h". See this lesson |
belle | laid | laide | beautiful / ugly |
bon | bonne | mauvais | mauvaise | good / bad |
long | longue | court | courte | Long / short |
grand | grande | petit | petite | large / small |
lent | lente | rapide | rapide | slow / fast |
ouvert | ouverte | fermé | fermée | open / closed |
jeune | jeune | vieux | vieille |
young / old |
plein | pleine | vide | vide | full / empty |
cher | chère | bon marché | bon marché | expensive / cheap |
bas | basse | haut | haute | low / high |
facile | facile | difficile | difficile | easy / hard |
vrai | vraie | faux | fausse | true / false |
froid | froide | chaud | chaude | cold / hot |
léger | légère | lourd | lourde | light / heavy |
nouveau | nouvelle | ancien | ancienne | new / old |
Videos
French adjectives | Beginner French Lessons for Children - YouTube
French Adjectives - Grammar - Rules - Feminine Masculine - YouTube
20 French Adjectives To Describe Feelings // French grammar ...
100 Useful French Adjectives - YouTube
French Adjectives Rules - YouTube
Related Lessons
- Ce, and compound forms of être
- Use of en with numerals and quantifiers
- Cardinal Numbers — When to use figures and when to use words
- Déterminants
- Conventions for writing cardinal numbers in figures
- How to recognize when the start of a relative clause is a direct object
- Agreement of past participle if direct object is placed before
- il or ça alternating with clauses or infinitives as subjects
- How to use half, third and quarter in French
- Beau VS Bel