Adjective Agreement in French
Adjective agreement is a fundamental aspect of French grammar that often challenges learners. Understanding how adjectives change to match the nouns they describe is crucial for speaking and writing French correctly.
Basic Rules of Adjective Agreement
In French, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. This means:
- Masculine singular nouns use the basic form of the adjective
- Feminine singular nouns often add an -e to the adjective
- Plural nouns usually add an -s to the adjective
For example:
- Un petit garçon (A small boy)
- Une petite fille (A small girl)
- Des petits enfants (Small children)
Common Patterns
Adding -e for Feminine
Most adjectives simply add an -e for the feminine form:
- grand → grande (big)
- vert → verte (green)
Doubling the Final Consonant
Some adjectives double the final consonant before adding -e:
- gros → grosse (fat)
- bon → bonne (good)
Irregular Forms
Some adjectives have irregular feminine forms:
- beau → belle (beautiful)
- nouveau → nouvelle (new)
Plural Agreements
Generally, add -s to form plurals:
- grands garçons (big boys)
- petites filles (little girls)
Adjectives ending in -s or -x don't change in the plural:
- un gros livre → des gros livres (thick books)
Position of Adjectives
Most French adjectives come after the noun:
- Une voiture rouge (A red car)
Some common adjectives come before the noun:
- Un grand homme (A great man)
Exceptions and Special Cases
- Color adjectives derived from nouns don't agree: des yeux marron (brown eyes)
- Compound adjectives: only the second part usually agrees: des enfants nouveau-nés (newborn children)
Remember, practice is key to mastering adjective agreement in French. Pay attention to these patterns in your reading and listening, and soon they'll become second nature in your own French usage.