12.2.1
Agreement of Adjectives
Adjectives Must Agree
Adjectives Must Agree
Adjectives are describing words, they agree when they are describing things.
Common adjectives
Common adjectives
- Beau/belle - beautiful.
- Triste - sad.
- Normal(e) - normal.
- Intéressant(e) - interesting.
- Affreux/affreuse - awful.
- Long(ue) - long.
- Facile - easy.
- Difficile - difficult.
Singular
Singular
- In French, adjectives agree with the gender and the quantity of the noun.
- When it is masculine singular, they never change, for feminine singular you normally add an 'e', (unless it already has an 'e').
- Le film intéressant - the interesting film.
- La piste intéressante - the interesting approach.
Plural
Plural
- For masculine plural you just add an 's', for feminine plural you add 'es'.
- Les films intéressants - the interesting films.
- Les pistes intéressantes - the interesting approaches.
Irregular Agreements
Irregular Agreements
For some words, you don't just add 'es' or 's'. They have irregular plural agreements.
Ending in 'x'
Ending in 'x'
- When adjectives end in 'x' in the masculine singular, the feminine singular and plurals are irregular too.
- Heureux - happy.
- Heureux - masculine singular.
- Heureux - masculine plural.
- Dangeureux - dangerous.
- Dangereuse - feminine singular.
- Dangereuses - feminine plural.
Ending in 'on', 'en', 'el', 'il'
Ending in 'on', 'en', 'el', 'il'
- When adjectives end in 'on', 'en', 'el' or 'il' in the masculine singular, the feminine singular and plural are irregular.
- Bon - good.
- Bon - masculine singular.
- Bons - masculine plural.
- Bonne - feminine singular.
- Bonnes - feminine plural.
Ending in 'er'
Ending in 'er'
- When adjectives end in 'er' the feminine singular and plural are irregular.
- Premier - first.
- Premier - masculine singular.
- Premiers - masculine plural.
- Première - feminine singular.
- Premières - feminine plural.
Ending in 'f'
Ending in 'f'
- When adjectives end in 'f' the feminine singular and plural are irregular.
- Sportif - sporty.
- Sportif - masculine singular.
- Sportifs - masculine plural.
- Sportive - feminine singular.
- Sportives - feminine plural.
Ending in 'c'
Ending in 'c'
- When adjectives end in 'c' the feminine singular and plural are irregular.
- Blanc - white.
- Blanc - masculine singular.
- Blancs - masculine plural.
- Blanche - feminine singular.
- Blanches - feminine plural.
No Pattern Irregulars
No Pattern Irregulars
Some irregulars don't follow a pattern when agreeing with a noun. These just need to be learned. Some of these change before a masculine singular noun that starts in a vowel.
Tout - all
Tout - all
- Masculine singular → Tout.
- Masculine plural → Tous.
- Feminine singular → Toute.
- Feminine plural → Toutes.
Long - long
Long - long
- Masculine singular → Long.
- Masculine plural → Longs.
- Feminine singular → Longue.
- Feminine plural → Longues.
Rigolo - funny
Rigolo - funny
- Masculine singular → Rigolo.
- Masculine plural → Rigolos.
- Feminine singular → Rigolote.
- Feminine plural → Rigolotes.
Vieux - old
Vieux - old
- Masculine singular → Vieux.
- Masculine singular before a noun that starts with a vowel or the letter 'h' → Vieil.
- Masculine plural → Vieux.
- Feminine singular → Vieille.
- Feminine plural → Vieilles.
Beau - beautiful
Beau - beautiful
- Masculine singular → Beau.
- Masculine singular before a noun that starts with a vowel or the letter 'h' → Bel.
- Masculine plural → Beaux.
- Feminine singular → Belle.
- Feminine plural → Belles.
Nouveau - new
Nouveau - new
- Masculine singular → Nouveau.
- Masculine singular before a noun that starts with a vowel or the letter 'h' → Nouvel.
- Masculine plural → Nouveaux.
- Feminine singular → Nouvelle.
- Feminine plural → Nouvelles.
Fou - crazy, mad
Fou - crazy, mad
- Masculine singular → Fou.
- Masculine singular before a noun that starts with a vowel or the letter 'h' → Fol.
- Masculine plural → Fous.
- Feminine singular → Folle.
- Feminine plural → Folles.
1The Changing Nature of Family
1.1Soucis et problèmes de famille
1.2Monoparentalité, homoparentalité etc
2The 'cyber-society'
2.1Qui sont les cybernautes ?
2.2Comment la technologie facilite la vie quotidienne
3The Place of Voluntary Work
3.1Qui sont et que font les bénévoles ?
3.2La valeur du bénévolat
4Diverse Society
4.1L'enrichissement dû à la mixité
4.2Tolérance et respect
5The Marginalised
5.1Qui ils sont
5.2Comment aider
6How Criminals Are Treated
6.1Quelles attitudes envers la criminalité ?
6.2La prison – échec ou succès ?
7A Culture Proud of its Heritage
7.1Le patrimoine - national, régional et local
7.2Comment le patrimoine reflète la culture
7.3Le patrimoine et le tourisme
8Cinema: the 7th Art Form
8.1Pourquoi le septième art?
8.2Le cinéma - une passion nationale ?
9Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power?
9.1Le pouvoir des syndicats
9.2Manifestations et grèves – sont-elles efficaces ?
10Politics & Immigration
10.1Politiques d'intégration et immigration
10.2L'immigration et les partis politiques
10.3L'engagement politique des immigrés
11Conjugation & Use of Tenses
11.1Present Tense
11.1.1Irregular IR Verbs That End in 'vrir'
11.1.2Irregular RE Verbs
11.1.3RE Present Participle
11.1.4Irregular IR Verbs With No Pattern
11.1.5Irregular IR Verbs That End in 'enir'
11.1.6Regular IR Verbs
11.1.7Reflexive Verbs
11.1.8ER Present Participles
11.1.95 Common IR Verbs
11.1.10Stem-Changing Verbs
11.1.11Irregular Present Participles
11.1.12Irregular IR Verbs Like 'Partir'
11.1.13Regular RE Verbs
11.1.14Irregular ER Verbs - Aller
11.1.15Modal Irregular IR Verbs
11.1.165 Common RE Verbs
11.1.17Irregular RE Verbs With No Pattern
11.1.18Avoir
11.1.19Être
11.1.20Regular ER Verbs
11.1.21IR Present Participle
11.1.225 Common ER Verbs
11.2Perfect Tense
11.3Imperfect Tense
11.4Future Tense
11.5Conditional Tense
11.6Future Perfect Tense
11.7Conditional Perfect Tense
12Extra Grammar
12.2Adjectives
12.3Numerals
12.4Adverbs
12.5Quantifiers & Intensifiers
12.6Pronouns
12.7Passive Voice
12.8Prepositions
12.9Conjunctions
12.10Negation
12.11Questions
Jump to other topics
1The Changing Nature of Family
1.1Soucis et problèmes de famille
1.2Monoparentalité, homoparentalité etc
2The 'cyber-society'
2.1Qui sont les cybernautes ?
2.2Comment la technologie facilite la vie quotidienne
3The Place of Voluntary Work
3.1Qui sont et que font les bénévoles ?
3.2La valeur du bénévolat
4Diverse Society
4.1L'enrichissement dû à la mixité
4.2Tolérance et respect
5The Marginalised
5.1Qui ils sont
5.2Comment aider
6How Criminals Are Treated
6.1Quelles attitudes envers la criminalité ?
6.2La prison – échec ou succès ?
7A Culture Proud of its Heritage
7.1Le patrimoine - national, régional et local
7.2Comment le patrimoine reflète la culture
7.3Le patrimoine et le tourisme
8Cinema: the 7th Art Form
8.1Pourquoi le septième art?
8.2Le cinéma - une passion nationale ?
9Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power?
9.1Le pouvoir des syndicats
9.2Manifestations et grèves – sont-elles efficaces ?
10Politics & Immigration
10.1Politiques d'intégration et immigration
10.2L'immigration et les partis politiques
10.3L'engagement politique des immigrés
11Conjugation & Use of Tenses
11.1Present Tense
11.1.1Irregular IR Verbs That End in 'vrir'
11.1.2Irregular RE Verbs
11.1.3RE Present Participle
11.1.4Irregular IR Verbs With No Pattern
11.1.5Irregular IR Verbs That End in 'enir'
11.1.6Regular IR Verbs
11.1.7Reflexive Verbs
11.1.8ER Present Participles
11.1.95 Common IR Verbs
11.1.10Stem-Changing Verbs
11.1.11Irregular Present Participles
11.1.12Irregular IR Verbs Like 'Partir'
11.1.13Regular RE Verbs
11.1.14Irregular ER Verbs - Aller
11.1.15Modal Irregular IR Verbs
11.1.165 Common RE Verbs
11.1.17Irregular RE Verbs With No Pattern
11.1.18Avoir
11.1.19Être
11.1.20Regular ER Verbs
11.1.21IR Present Participle
11.1.225 Common ER Verbs
11.2Perfect Tense
11.3Imperfect Tense
11.4Future Tense
11.5Conditional Tense
11.6Future Perfect Tense
11.7Conditional Perfect Tense
12Extra Grammar
12.2Adjectives
12.3Numerals
12.4Adverbs
12.5Quantifiers & Intensifiers
12.6Pronouns
12.7Passive Voice
12.8Prepositions
12.9Conjunctions
12.10Negation
12.11Questions
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