Agreement (1/3)
French: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 8.8.1
Adjectives Must Agree
Adjectives are describing words, they agree when they are describing things.
Common adjectives
- Beau/belle - beautiful.
- Triste - sad.
- Normal(e) - normal.
- Intéressant(e) - interesting.
- Affreux/affreuse - awful.
- Long(ue) - long.
- Facile - easy.
- Difficile - difficult.
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
- 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
For some words, you don't just add 'es' or 's'. They have irregular plural agreements.
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'
- 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'
- 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'
- 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'
- 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.
Test yourself on Agreement (1/3)
The word 'book' is masculine in French. How do you say 'the interesting book' in French?
How do you say 'sad' in the masculine singular in French?
Comment dites-vous 'heureux' au féminin pluriel?
How do you say 'they are sporty' in French?