A Complete and Easy Guide to French Adjectives

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Everything you need to know about french adjectives, learn all about it right here with the special and updated content in a jiffy from the experts

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Here are some examples of adjectives in English:But why should adjectives be studied anyway?1. FRENCH VS. ENGLISH ADJECTIVES2. HOW TO MAKE FRENCH ADJECTIVES “AGREE”How to make adjectives plural in French.3. WHERE TO PLACE FRENCH ADJECTIVES IN A SENTENCE4. QUICK EXERCISES ON ADJECTIVES5. NUMERICAL ADJECTIVES (Adjectifs numéraux)Here are some FAQs about French Adjectives

Difficulty: Beginner – Intermediate

French adjectives can be one of the most colorful parts of speech. But if you think you know enough about adjectives, you can check out this other article that contains the different types of adjectives in French and a huge list of the most common adjectives.

In case you need a little reminder of what adjectives are, here’s a quick run-through:

Adjectives are words which are used to describe, identify, modify or quantify a noun. These are descriptive words which tell you more about a person or thing, like what it looks like, how big it is, what color it is, how many there are, and basically any sort of detail about the subject.

No time to read now?

Here are some examples of adjectives in English:

pretty, cute, terrifying, awesome, amazing, enormous, blue, pale, heavy, grainy, soft, snappy, old-fashioned, scary

…so anyway, you get the point.

But why should adjectives be studied anyway?

Aside from the fact that they describe a word and answers the question, “what kind of..?”, they also make your speech or writing vibrant and exciting. Now who wouldn’t want to come off as an interesting speaker, right? Especially for a Romance language like French, inserting the right (fabulous!) descriptions would make a whole lot of difference.

Note: This learning guide is divided into different parts with a quick recap after each topic. You can read the entire article in one sitting, or you can choose to digest it in bite-sized, chewable pieces by learning one topic at a time and coming back regularly for the rest of the topics. Your study method is all up to you. The important thing is to enjoy!

1. FRENCH VS. ENGLISH ADJECTIVES

While both French and English adjectives operate the same way, there are a few key differences between the two, and these are:

• When to change the adjectives, and
• Their placement in a sentence.

When we use adjectives in English, the only time we change its form is when we compare something.

For example:

She is prettier than her sister. Pretty is changed to prettier to compare the subject to another person.

That’s the coolest idea ever! Cool becomes coolest to point out the level of awesomeness.

In French, on the other hand, there are a few other considerations aside from comparison. You also have to make your adjectives “agree” with the noun they are describing based on gender and the quantity.

So French adjectives agree in two ways, producing four possible combinations:

• masculine singular
• feminine singular
• masculine plural
• feminine plural

Let’s use as an example the word joli (which means pretty).

Sounds like a lot of work, eh? Let’s just keep going and the knots in your brain will soon be cleared out (trust us!)

The second difference between French and English adjectives is their placement in a sentence. In English, we put the adjectives BEFORE the word they are describing. In French, however, they are usually placed AFTER the noun.

For example:

a black cat vs un chat noir

A quick recap of the first topic:

1. Adjectives are words which describe a subject and answer the question: what kind of..?
2. The main differences between English and French adjectives are:The changes in form. English adjectives change only when used to compare while French adjectives have to “agree” with the word they are describing according to its gender and quantity.The placement in a sentence. French adjectives are usually placed AFTER the noun, while English adjectives come BEFORE it.

2. HOW TO MAKE FRENCH ADJECTIVES “AGREE”

Having to make words agree with each other could seem headache-inducing to newbies in French. But don’t worry, we’re here to make the task as easy for you as possible.

Here are the basic rules you should remember when it comes to making adjectives agree.

1. The main form of French adjectives (like how they appear in dictionary entries) is the masculine singular form.
2. In most cases, you only need to add a suffix or an ending to change the adjective into its feminine form.

Basic rule:

Let’s use the adjective noir (black) as an example.

A closer look at how to make adjectives feminine:

Rule No. 1: Simply add -e to the masculine singular adjective. This applies to most adjectives.

Rule No. 2: In cases where the adjective already ends in -e in its masculine singular form, you no longer need to add another -e at the end.

Examples:

Rule No. 3: Some adjectives have a more complicated way of changing into its feminine form. But these still more or less follow regular patterns, so all you need to do is familiarize yourself with the following table:

Table source: Collins Easy Learning French Grammar

Pronunciation tips! 

• For masculine adjectives ending in a vowel, the pronunciation does not change when -e is added. For example, joli and jolie are pronounced the same way.
• For masculine adjectives ending in unpronounced consonants like D, S, or T, once it is changed to a feminine form, the unpronounced consonants become pronounced. Example, chaud (or hot), to pronounce the masculine form, the d is silent. In the feminine form chaude, the d is pronounced.

This also applies to adjectives where you double the consonant to change them  into their feminine form. For example, in the word gros (big, fat), the s is silent while in its feminine counterpart grosse, the s sound is distinct.

• Some masculine adjectives that end in nasal sounds become non-nasal in feminine form. For example, the word bon (good) ends in a nasal sound and the n is not pronounced. In its feminine form bonne, it no longer sounds nasal and the n is pronounced.

Too many rules? Don’t worry, you’ll catch up real quick if you keep coming back and reading this page thoroughly

Just like in any other language, there are words which simply refuse to fit the bill. Here is a list of some of the irregular adjectives in the French language:

Some irregular adjectives are even more irregular than the others. Here is a list of highly irregular adjectives which have an extra set of masculine singular forms. These extra forms are used immediately before masculine singular nouns that begin with a vowel or a silent h (h muet), not an aspirated h. The feminine forms are irregular as well.

Examples when used:

• un bel appartement (a beautiful apartment)
• le Nouvel An (New Year)
• un vieil arbre (an old tree)

Irregular adjectives words list and examples source: Collins Easy Learning French Grammar

Now that we have finished with the basic rules on how to make adjectives agree, as well as how to change them to their feminine forms, let’s look at

How to make adjectives plural in French.

As mentioned earlier, French adjectives change in two ways – the gender, and the quantity. If you found the previous topic a bit difficult to grasp (you’ll get the hang of it, don’t worry!), this one is a lot easier.

Here are the basic rules on how to change a singular French adjective into its plural form.

1. Simply adding -s to the masculine or feminine adjective will make it plural. This is applicable in most cases. (noir becomes noirs; lourde becomes lourdes)
2. For adjectives that end in -s or -x, you no longer need to add another s. (français is still français in plural; dangereux is still dangereux)
3. For masculine adjectives that end in -eau or -al, the plural form usually changes it to -eaux or -aux.

Quick tip: In cases where the adjective is describing both masculine and feminine objects, use the masculine plural form (instead of the feminine).

Pronunciation guide: Adding -s or -x usually does not change an adjective’s pronunciation on its own. Before a noun beginning with a vowel or silent h, a preceding adjective normally links its final s or x with a /z/ sound: de petits enfants. Do not make this liaison before an aspirated h.

And finally, let’s move on to the best kind of adjectives there is — the ones that NEVER change no matter what form is used. Now if only all adjectives were like these, it would be one less headache to worry about, right?

Sadly, there are quite a few of them. These adjectives are usually about colors such as bleu marine (navy blue), orange (orange), and marron (brown).

A quick recap of the second topic:

1. The basic rule in changing a masculine adjective into its feminine form is to add -e. If it already ends in -e, you usually do not add another one. Some adjectives double the consonant before adding -e; others follow the patterns listed above. Some irregular masculine adjectives have special forms used before a vowel or silent h. To make an adjective plural, usually add -s; a form already ending in -s or -x stays unchanged. Masculine adjectives in -eau take -eaux, and most in -al take -aux, with exceptions such as banals and fatals. A few adjectives, including the color words orange and marron, do not change.

3. WHERE TO PLACE FRENCH ADJECTIVES IN A SENTENCE

As mentioned in the previous topics, one of the key differences between French and English adjectives is their placement in a sentence. While English adjectives tend to come BEFORE the noun they are describing, the French adjectifs usually come AFTER the word they describe. However some words simply refuse to fit the norm and make their own rules instead.

Here we’ll discuss the rules on where and how to put the adjectives in a sentence.

The most important rules for you to take note of are the following:

1. Most of the time, the adjectives appear immediately AFTER the noun they are describing. This is true for regular adjectives as well as those related to colors, shapes and nationalities.
2. There are, however, some adjectives that appear BEFORE a noun. Some common examples are listed below:

• beaulovely, good-looking , beautiful
• bongood, right
• courtshort
• grandtall, big, great
• grosbig. fat
• hauthigh
• jeuneyoung
• jolipretty
• longlong
• mauvaisbad, poor
• meilleurbetter
• nouveaunew
• petitsmall, little
• premierfirst
• vieuxold

Examples source: Collins Easy Learning French Grammar

3. Aside from the adjectives that appear after or before the word they are describing, there is also a special group of adjectives that could appear either BEFORE or AFTER a noun, and their meaning changes depending on their placement in the sentence.

Sounds tricky?

Here are some of the most common examples:

4. Lastly, some adjectives can appear before or after a noun with much the same basic meaning in a given context. Placement can still change the emphasis or meaning in other contexts, so these are useful examples rather than an absolute rule.

These rule-breakers are the following:

Example usage:

Un magnifique terrain de foot = Un terrain de foot magnifique

Examples source: Student Guide to French Grammar

Extra tip: All these rules might be a bit confusing, but if you keep familiarizing yourself with the usage of  the different words and adjectives through continuous exposure to the French language, it can only get easier for you. Remember, constant practice and a lot of patience is the key. You’re doing awesome though;  keep it up!

In English, using multiple adjectives to describe one subject is quite simple: you just pile them up in a neat line based on an agreed order.

Examples:  The pretty little girl. The big yellow taxi.

But since French has a lot more rules when it comes to the order of adjectives, the question is, how do you arrange multiple adjectives in a sentence?

Here are some tips:

1. If one of the adjectives you’re using normally goes before a noun while the other one comes after the noun, then you can proceed with doing just that.

For example: une jeune femme blonde (a young blonde woman) – un nouveau film intéressant (an interesting new film)

2. If both of the adjectives you are using come after the noun, you can add et (which means and) between the two adjectives. un homme mince et laid (a thin, ugly man)une personne intelligente et drôle (an intelligent, funny person) Sounds simple enough, right?

A quick recap of the third topic:

There are four kinds of adjectives in French based on where they appear in a sentence:

1. Adjectives that come AFTER the subject they are describing – this is the most common case. A small group of adjectives that come BEFORE the subject.Another small group of adjectives could come BEFORE or AFTER the noun, but the meaning changes depending on where they are placed; andThe last group – adjectives that could be placed either BEFORE or AFTER and their basic meaning can stay much the same in context.Multiple adjectives can be connected using et which means and in English.

4. QUICK EXERCISES ON ADJECTIVES

Before we end our discussion on adjectives, let’s practice saying a few French adjectives first.  The meanings are also included, and this list should help widen your French vocabulary. Ready?

Note:

• the ones marked with (f.) refer to the feminine form of the adjective.
• The italicized letters in the pronunciation guide are meant to be pronounced with a nasal sound.

5. NUMERICAL ADJECTIVES (Adjectifs numéraux)

Traditional French grammar groups these as numerical adjectives. In modern grammar, cardinal numbers used before a noun are generally called numerical determiners, while ordinals such as premier and deuxième, and words such as double and triple, can function as adjectives. They tell us about quantity, order, or multiples.

If you are already familiar with French numbers, this should be a breeze to you. If not, you may want to brush up on your numbers by heading over to the article  The Easy Guide to French Numbers.  There are three kinds of numerical adjectives, and these are:

• Cardinal numbers which are used for counting, such as un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, and so on (one, two, three, four, five, etc.)
• Ordinal numbers used to rank or tell the position and order. Examples: premier, deuxième, troisième, quatrième, cinquième, and so on (first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.)
• Multiplicative numbers employed to multiply an amount. Examples of multiplicative numbers: simple, double, triple (single, double triple)

With all that classification out of the way, the question now is this: Where do you put a numerical adjective in a sentence?In the previous lesson, we discussed that adjectives usually appear AFTER the noun they are describing. But in some cases, they could also appear BEFORE, BEFORE or AFTER depending on the meaning, and BEFORE or AFTER with no changes in the meaning. For numerical adjectives, the rule is: they usually come BEFORE the noun that they modify, although some can also follow it, as in une portion double.

• Cardinal numbers come before the noun and its descriptive adjectives. Examples: trois chats noirs (three black cats), deux sacs (two bags).
• Ordinal numbers and multiplicative adjectives usually come before the noun. Examples: le troisième jour (the third day), une triple portion (a triple portion).

The next question is: like other adjectives, do numerical adjectives need to agree with the nouns they describe? Here are the main rules:

• Cardinal numbers generally do not change for gender, except un, which becomes une. However, vingt and cent can take a plural -s when multiplied and not followed by another number: quatre-vingts élèves, deux cents élèves, but quatre-vingt-deux élèves and deux cent trois élèves.
• Ordinal adjectives agree in number. Most have the same masculine and feminine spelling (deuxième, troisième), but take -s in the plural: les deuxièmes places. Premier and second also have distinct feminine forms: première and seconde, with plurals premiers/premières and seconds/secondes.
• Multiplicative adjectives such as simple, double, and triple have the same masculine and feminine spelling, but take -s in the plural: une double portion, des doubles portions.

As previously mentioned, numerical adjectives are quite easy to understand if you already have a grasp of French numbers. They don’t have as many rules as the other regular adjectives do.

With that, we conclude this lesson on French adjectives. Remember, the key to grasping these lessons is repetition Do not forget to keep coming back to this page and reviewing what you have learned until you have thoroughly familiarized the topics as well as the different rules.

I am confident that this French adjectives list masculine and feminine and plural variations will help learning to speak French easier!

Cheers!

Here are some FAQs about French Adjectives

Where do adjectives go in French?

While adjectives go before nouns in English, most French adjectives go after the noun. There are exceptions, of course. Make sure to review the article so that you know which French adjectives go after, before, before or after with a change in meaning, and before or after with no change in meaning.

Which adjectives go before the nouns in French?

Some common examples of adjectives that go before the noun include:

• Son beau fils (His good-looking boy)
• Bonne chance ! (Good luck!)
• Le petit chat (The little cat)
• Une jolie femme (A pretty woman)

What are some positive French adjectives?

When looking to describe something or someone in a positive manner, here are a few French adjectives we can use:

• Beau, bel, belle, beaux, belles – beautiful
• Joli(es) – pretty
• Génial, géniale, géniaux, géniales – awesome
• Craquant(e) – literally “crunchy,” but used for cute people or things

What are the 4 rules for adjectives in French?

The 4 rules for adjectives in French are:

1. Gender agreement
   Adjectives need to “agree” with their nouns, so whether a noun is feminine or masculine, the adjective needs to end accordingly. Usually, it’s straightforward: to the single masculine form, add –e to make it feminine. If it already has an –e at the end, leave it alone. There are adjectives with more complicated forms, so be sure to look them over in our article!
2. Plural agreement
   Adjectives generally agree with the noun in number. Usually add -s for the plural; if the form already ends in -s or -x, leave it unchanged. Masculine forms in -eau take -eaux; most in -al take -aux, with exceptions such as banals and fatals.
   Quick note: some adjectives stay unchanged, including color words such as marron and orange.
3. Before or after a noun?
   French adjectives usually go after their noun. However, there are some that go before. There are adjectives that can go before or after a noun, and this can change the meaning. There’s even a small number of exceptional adjectives that can go before or after the noun but still have the same meaning. Read through the article thoroughly to get familiar with adjectives!
4. Numerical adjectives
   Cardinal numbers generally do not change for gender, except un/une, and vingt and cent can take -s in certain multiples. Ordinals take plural -s; premier/première and second/seconde also change for gender. Simple, double, and triple have the same masculine and feminine form but take -s in the plural. These words usually go before the noun, though some can follow it, as in une portion double.