Adjectives Flashcards
To learn how to make adjectives agree and their irregular forms.
To make a REGULAR adjective (end in -u, -i, -é, -t) into the.. feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. petit:
1) -e (petite)
2) -s (petits)
3) -es (petites)
Adjective ending in -e into the.. feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. jaune:
1) nothing! (jaune)
2) -s (jaunes)
3) -s (jaunes)
Adjectives ending in -s into the... feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. gros
1) -se (grosse)
2) nothing! (gros)
3) -ses (grosses)
Adjectives ending in -on into the... feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. bon
1) -ne (bonne)
2) -s (bons)
3) -nes (bonnes)
Adjectives ending in -eux into the... feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. heureux
1) -euse (heureuse)
2) nothing! (heureux)
3) -euses (heureuses)
Adjectives ending in -er into the... feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. premier
1) -ère (première)
2) -ers (premiers)
3) -ères (premières)
Adjectives ending in -f into the... feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. sportif
1) -ve (sportive)
2) -fs (sportifs)
3) -ves (sportives)
Adjectives ending in -el into the... feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. personnel
1) -le (personnelle)
2) -s (personnels)
3) -les (personnelles)
Adjectives that end in er or et need a grave accent:
Ending: er > ère
Ending: et > ète
E.g. cher
1) -ère
2) -s
3) -ères
E.g. complet
4) -ète
5) -s
6) -ètes
Adjectives ending in -c into the... feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. blanc
1) -che
2) -cs
3) -ches
Adjectives ending in -eur into the... feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. flatteur (flattering)
1) -euse (flatteuse)
2) -eurs (flatteurs)
3) -euses (flatteuses)
Adjectives ending in -al into the... feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
E.g. idéal
1) -e
2) -aux
3) -ales
beautiful; beau into the... after a vowel/H feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
1) bel
2) belle
3) beaux
4) belles
new; nouveau into the... after a vowel/H feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
1) nouvel
2) nouvelle
3) nouveaux
4) nouvelles
crazy, fou into the... after a vowel/H feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
1) fol
2) folle
3) fous
4) folles
soft, mou into the... after a vowel/H feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
1) mol
2) molle
3) mous
4) molles
old, vieux into the... after a vowel/H feminine singular; masculine plural; feminine plural; form, you must add what?
1) vieil
2) vieille
3) vieux
4) vieilles
When the masculine singular adjective ends in an unaccented E, there is no difference between the masculine and feminine forms.
E.g. rouge
1) nothing! (rouge)
2) -s (rouges)
3) -s (rouges)
When the default form of the adjective ends in S or X, there is no difference between the masculine singular and plural forms.
E.g. gris
1) -e (grise)
2) nothing! (gris)
3) -es (grises)
Placement: After the noun
- Includes most descriptive adjectives.
- Normally have an analytical meaning (i.e. they classify the noun into a certain category).
- Include shape, color, taste, nationality, religion, social class, and other adjectives that describe things like personality and mood.
une table ronde - round table un livre noir - black book du thé sucré - sweet tea une femme américaine - American woman une église catholique - Catholic church une famille bourgeoise - middle-class family
In addition, present participles and past participles used as adjectives are always placed _______ the noun.
after.
E.g. une histoire intéressante - interesting story
un débat passionné - lively debate
Placement: Before the noun
Certain adjectives are placed before the noun, some which you can memorize with the acronym “BAGS”:
Beauty
Age
Good and bad
Size (except for grand with people - see 3, below)
These descriptors - and a few others - are considered inherent qualities of the noun
une jolie fille - pretty girl un jeune homme - young man une nouvelle maison - new house un bon enfant - good child un petit problème - small problem les sincères condoléances - sincere condolences les vagues promesses - vague promises un gentil garçon - kind boy
In addition, all non-descriptive (i.e., demonstrative, indefinite, interrogative, negative, and possessive) adjectives are placed ________ the noun.
before ces livres - these books chaque personne - each person quel stylo ? - which pen? aucune femme - no woman mon enfant - my child
Placement: Depends on Meaning
Some adjectives have both a figurative and an analytic (literal) sense and can thus be placed on either side of the noun. When the adjective is figurative, it goes before the noun, and when it’s analytic, it goes after the noun.
Figurative: mes vertes années my green (fruitful) years
Literal: des légumes verts green vegetables
Figurative: un grand homme a great man
Literal: un homme grand a tall man
Figurative: un triste individu a sad (mean or bad) person
Literal: un individu triste a sad (crying) person
Figurative: mon ancienne école my old (former) school
Literal: mon école ancienne my old (aged) school
Figurative: un certain regard a certain (type of) look
Literal: une victoire certaine a certain (assured) victory
