Les Adjectifs What is an adjective An adjective

Les Adjectifs

What is an adjective? An adjective is a word that modifies a noun by describing it in some way: • Shape • Color • Size • Nationality

French adjectives are different from English adjectives in two ways:

1. French adjectives change to agree in gender and number with the nouns that they modify, which means there can be up to four forms of each adjective: Adjective: joli (pretty) Masculine singular joli Feminine singular jolie Masculine plural jolis Feminine plural jolies

2. In English, adjectives are always found in front of the noun, but most French adjectives follow the noun they modify: un livre vert - green book un professeur intelligent - smart teacher But there are some French adjectives that precede the noun: un beau garçon - handsome boy un petit verre - small glass

BANGS: Rule for Writing Adjectives B – Beauty -beau/belle/beaux/belles A – Age -nouveau/nouvelle/nouveaux/nouvelles N – Numbers -premier/première G - Greatness/Goodness -mauvais/mauvaise S – Size -gros/grosse

• French adjectives change if they are masculine, feminine, or plural. • There can be up to four forms of each adjective! • Most French adjectives add E for feminine and S for plural.

Irregular French Adjectives There are several French adjectives which have irregular feminine and plural forms, as well as a special form when they are placed in front of a masculine noun that begins with a vowel or a mute H: Singular Plural Adjective masc vowel/H fem masc fem beautiful beau belle beaux belles new nouveau nouvelle nouveaux nouvelles crazy fou folle fous folles soft mou molle mous molles old vieux vieilles