French adjectives
Video on French adjectives
A qualifying adjective describes a person or thing (un grand jardin = a big garden, une voiture rouge = a red car). In French, the adjective agrees in gender (masculine/feminine) and in number (singular/plural) with the noun it describes. This page explains agreement, how to form the feminine and the plural, where to place the adjective (before or after the noun), the difference between attributive and predicative adjectives, common mistakes, a quick test and three interactive exercises right on the page.
The rule in one sentence
Agreement in gender and number
The adjective changes form to match the noun. As a general rule, add -e for the feminine and -s for the plural.
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | un ami poli | une amie polie |
| Plural | des amis polis | des amies polies |
Forming the feminine
You usually add -e. But the masculine ending often triggers a specific change.
| Ending | Feminine | Example |
|---|---|---|
| already ends in -e | no change | rouge → rouge, simple → simple |
| consonant | + e | grand → grande, vert → verte |
| -er | -ère | premier → première, cher → chère |
| -eux | -euse | heureux → heureuse, sérieux → sérieuse |
| -f | -ve | neuf → neuve, actif → active |
| -eau | -elle | beau → belle, nouveau → nouvelle |
| doubled consonant + e | -onne, -enne, -elle, -ette | bon → bonne, gentil → gentille |
Forming the plural
You usually add -s, except in a few cases.
| Ending | Plural | Example |
|---|---|---|
| general case | + s | petit → petits, joli → jolis |
| already ends in -s or -x | no change | gris → gris, heureux → heureux |
| -eau | -eaux | beau → beaux, nouveau → nouveaux |
| -al | -aux | national → nationaux, spécial → spéciaux |
Where the adjective goes
Most adjectives come after the noun (colour, shape, nationality, etc.): une voiture rouge (a red car), un plat italien (an Italian dish). A few short, very frequent adjectives come before the noun.
When the position changes the meaning
Some adjectives do not mean the same thing before and after the noun.
| Adjective | Before the noun | After the noun |
|---|---|---|
| grand | un grand homme (a great man) | un homme grand (a tall man) |
| ancien | mon ancien appartement (my former flat) | un meuble ancien (an antique) |
| pauvre | un pauvre homme (a pitiable man) | un homme pauvre (a man with no money) |
| propre | ma propre voiture (my own car) | une voiture propre (a clean car) |
Attributive or predicative
The adjective can have two functions, but it always agrees with the noun or the subject.
Attributive adjective (épithète)
Placed directly next to the noun, with no verb: une belle maison (a beautiful house), des décisions importantes (important decisions).
Predicative adjective (attribut du sujet)
Linked to the subject by a linking verb (être, paraître, devenir, sembler, rester… = to be, seem, become, remain): Ce vase est beau. · Elle paraît sincère. · Ils deviennent turbulents.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting feminine agreement. « une robe vert » → « une robe verte » (a green dress).
- Forgetting plural agreement. « des livres intéressant » → « des livres intéressants » (interesting books).
- Feminine of -eux adjectives. « une fille heureuxe » → « une fille heureuse » (a happy girl).
- Plural of -al adjectives. « des problèmes nationals » → « des problèmes nationaux ».
- Wrong position for a colour adjective. « une rouge voiture » → « une voiture rouge ».
Book a free trial lesson
Self-check
Make the adjective in brackets agree, then reveal the answers.
- Une décision (important) ____.
- Des garçons (sérieux) ____.
- Des journaux (national) ____.
Show the answers
1. une décision importante. · 2. des garçons sérieux (-eux does not change in the masculine plural). · 3. des journaux nationaux.
Frequently asked questions
How do French adjectives agree?
The adjective agrees in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun. Usually you add -e for the feminine and -s for the plural: un petit chat, une petite chatte, des petits chats.
Do adjectives go before or after the noun in French?
Most adjectives come after the noun (une voiture rouge, un plat italien). A few short, frequent ones come before: beau, bon, grand, gros, jeune, joli, long, mauvais, nouveau, petit, vieux.
What is the difference between an attributive and a predicative adjective?
An attributive adjective sits next to the noun, with no verb (une belle maison). A predicative adjective is linked to the subject by a verb like être or paraître (Ce vase est beau = This vase is beautiful).
How do you form the feminine of adjectives ending in -eux?
Adjectives ending in -eux form their feminine in -euse: heureux → heureuse (happy), sérieux → sérieuse (serious), courageux → courageuse (brave).
Why don’t « un grand homme » and « un homme grand » mean the same?
A few adjectives change meaning depending on their position. Before the noun, « un grand homme » means a great (illustrious) man; after the noun, « un homme grand » describes his height. The same goes for ancien, pauvre and propre.
Key takeaways
- The adjective always agrees in gender and number with the noun (or the subject).
- Feminine: + e in general; -er → -ère, -eux → -euse, -f → -ve, -eau → -elle.
- Plural: + s in general; -eau → -eaux, -al → -aux.
- Position: after the noun in general; before for beau, bon, grand, petit, jeune, joli…
- Attributive (next to the noun) or predicative (after être, paraître, devenir).
Exercises
Exercise 1. Make the adjectives agree in gender and number.
Exercise 2. Choose the meaning of each expression.
Exercise 3. Put the sentence into the plural.
See also: all French grammar · level test
Perfectionnez votre français – cours d’essai gratuit! Inscrivez-vous ici
