8.8.2

Agreement (2/3)

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Irregular Agrrements

Some adjectives have irregular agreements. This means you don't add just 'es' or 's' for plural nouns.

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Ending in 'x'

  • When adjectives end in 'x' in the masculine singular, the feminine singular is 'se'.
    • Masculine singular: heureux (happy)
    • Feminine singular: heureuse
  • The masculine plural is 'x', the feminine plural is 'ses'.
    • Masculine plural: dangeureux (dangerous)
    • Feminine plural: dangereuses
  • Notice that the masculine singular and plural are the same.
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Ending in 'on', 'en', 'el', 'il'

  • When adjectives end in 'on', 'en', 'el' or 'il' in the masculine singular, the feminine singular is 'ne' or 'le'.
    • Masculine singular: bon (good)
    • Feminine singular: bonne
  • The masculine plural is 's', the feminine plural is 'nes' or 'les'.
    • Masculine plural: gentils (kind)
    • Feminine plural: gentilles
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Ending in 'er'

  • When adjectives end in 'er' in the masculine singular, the feminine singular is 'ère'.
    • Masculine singular: premier (first)
    • Feminine singular: première
  • The masculine plural is 's', the feminine plural is 'ères'.
    • Masculine plural: derniers (last)
    • Feminine plural: dernières
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Ending in 'f'

  • When adjectives end in 'f' in the masculine singular, the feminine singular is 've'.
    • Masculine singular: sportif (sporty)
    • Feminine singular: sportive
  • The masculine plural is 's', the feminine plural is 'ves'.
    • Masculine plural: agressifs (aggressive)
    • Feminine plural: agresives
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Ending in 'c'

  • When adjectives end in 'c' in the masculine singular, the feminine singular is 'he'.
    • Masculine singular: blanc (white)
    • Feminine singular: blanche
  • The masculine plural is 's', the feminine plural is 'hes'.
    • Masculine plural: francs (frank)
    • Feminine plural: franches

Adjectives Must Agree

Adjectives are describing words. In French, adjectives agree with the gender (masculine/feminine) and the quantity (singular/plural) of the noun.

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Singular

  • When the noun is masculine singular, the adjective is not changed.
  • When the noun is 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.
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Plural

  • When the noun is masculine plural you just add an 's' to the adjective.
  • When the noun is feminine plural you add 'es' to the adjective.
    • Les films intéressants - the interesting films.
    • Les pistes intéressantes - the interesting approaches.

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3Personal Life & Relationships

4The World Around Us

5Social Activities, Fitness & Health

6Common Tenses

7Advanced Tenses

8Extra Grammar

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