By Calixte Wondje, Ph.D.
INTRODUCTION
Adjectives gives information about nouns and pronouns.
Examples: a small box, a different book, a tall wall, a beautiful dress, a white house.
French adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun they modify. Most masculine adjectives add –e to form feminine.
grand – grande (big)
espagnol – espagnole (Spanish)
prochain – prochaine (next)
noir – noire (black)
gris – grise (gray)
petit – petite (small, little)
compliqué – compliquée (complicated)
poli – polie (polite)
bleu – bleue (blue)
Adjectives with masculine form ending in –e do not change form in the feminine.
bizarre – bizarre (strange, peculiar)
difficile – difficile (difficult)
drôle – drôle (funny)
jaune – jaune (yellow)
logique – logique (logical)
rouge – rouge (red)
Most masculine adjectives ending in –x have feminine forms ending in –se.
dangereux – dangereuse (dangerous)
généreux – généreuse (generous)
heureux – heureuse (happy)
merveilleux – merveilleuse (marvelous)
nerveux – nerveuse (nervous)
sérieux – sérieuse (serious)
Masculine adjectives ending in –f have feminine forms ending in –ve.
actif – active (active)
naïf – naïve (naïve)
neuf – neuve (new)
sportif – sportive (athletic)
Adjectives ending in –el, -en, or –on double the final consonant before adding –e.
actuel – actuelle (present, present-day)
cruel – cruelle (cruel)
canadien – canadienne (Canadian)
européen – européenne (European)
bon – bonne (good)
mignon – mignonne (cute)
gentil – gentille (nice, friendly)
pareil – pareille (similar)
nul – nulle (none, not any)
Some masculine adjectives ending in –s have feminine forms ending in –sse.
bas – basse (low)
épais – épaisse (thick)
gras – grasse (fat, fatty)
gros – grosse (big, fat)
Some masculine adjectives ending in -et have feminine forms ending in –ète.
complet – complète (complete)
discret – discrète (discret)
inquiet – inquiète (restless, upset)
secret – secrète (secretive)
Some masculine adjectives ending in -et or –ot double the final –t before adding –e.
coquet – coquette (flirtatious)
muet – muette (mute)
sot – sotte (foolish)
Masculine adjectives ending in –er have feminine forms ending in –ère.
amer – amère (bitter)
dernier – dernière (last)
étranger – étrangère (foreign)
léger – légère (light)
Masculine adjectives derived from verbs and ending in –eur have feminine forms ending in –euse.
flatteur – flatteuse (flattering)
trompeur – trompeuse (deceptive)
Some adjectives have irregular feminine forms.
Some adjectives have irregular feminine forms.
beau – belle (beautiful, handsome)
blanc – blanche (white)
bref – brève (brief)
doux – douce (sweet, gentle, soft)
faux – fausse (false)
favori – favorite (favorite)
fou – folle (mad, crazy)
frais – fraîche (fresh)
franc – franche (frank)
grec – grecque (Greek)
long – longue (long)
nouveau – nouvelle (new)
public – publique (public)
roux – rousse (redheaded)
sec – sèche (dry)vieux – vielle (old)
Some adjectives are invariable. They do not change form to reflect gender or number.
Un pantalon chic (stylish pants)
Une robe chic (a stylish dress)
Des chaussures marron (brown shoes)
Des chaussettes marron (brown socks)
CONCLUSION
- In French, just like in English, adjectives are words that provide more information about a noun . Examples, tall, beautiful, happy, large, good, bad, important, easy, short, etc. They are often referred to as “describing words.”
- In French, most adjectives change to match the noun they describe. This means their endings vary depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, and whether it is singular or plural.
Examples:
Un joueur canadien – A Canadian player
Une famille canadienne – A Canadian family
Des entreprises canadiennes – Canadian businesses
English language users put adjectives BEFORE the noun they describe, but French users usually put them AFTER the noun.
Examples:
Une voiture blanche – A white car
Un train plein – A full train.
Une robe déchirée – A torn dress
Une assiette cassée – A broken plate
Un plat appétissant – An appetizing dish
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