UNITÉ 3 LEÇON 3A: Irregular Adjectives Flashcards
Some adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, there is a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –eau have a feminine form –elle.
MASCULINE = –EAU
FEMININE = –ELLE
- **beau **(m.) (s.)
- beaux (m.) (pl.)
- belle (f.) (s.)
- belles (f.) (pl.)
- nouveau (m.) (s.)
- nouveoux (m.) (pl.)
- nouvelle (f.) (s.)
- **nouvelles **(f.) (pl.)
Some adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, there is a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –er have a feminine form –ère.
MASCULINE = –er
FEMININE = –ère
- étranger (m.) (s.)
- étrangers (m.) (pl.)
- étrangère (f.) (s.)
- étrangères (f.) (pl.)
Some adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, there is a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –ier have a feminine form* –ière*.
MASCULINE = –ier
FEMININE = –ière
- **fier **(m.) (s.)
- fiers (m.) (pl.)
- fière (f.) (s.)
- fières (f.) (pl.)
These adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, you can see a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –eux have a feminine form in –euse.
MASCULINE = –eux
FEMININE = –euse
- courageux (m.) (s.) (pl.)
- courageuse (f.) (s.)
- courageuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- curieux (m.) (s.) (pl.)
- curieuse (f.) (s.)
- curieuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- ennuyeux (m.) (s.) (pl.)
- ennuyeuse (f.) (s.)
- ennuyeuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- généreux (m.) (s.)
- généreuse (f.) (s.)
- généreuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- heureux (m.) (s.)
- heureuse (f.) (s.)
- heureuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- malheureux (m.) (s.)
- malheureuse (f.) (s.)
- malheureuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- nerveux (m.) (s.)
- nerveuse (f.) (s.)
- nerveuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- paresseux (m.) (s.)
- paresseuse (f.) (s.)
- parasseuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- sérieux (m.) (s.)
- sérieuse (f.) (s.)
- sérieuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
* Notice how the masculine plural adjectives are the same as the feminine plural adjectives.*
These adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, you can see a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –el have a feminine form of –elle.
MASCULINE = –el
FEMININE = –elle
- cruel (m.) (s.)
- cruels (m.) (pl.)
- cruelle (f.) (s.)
- cruelles (f.) (pl.)
Ex. Paul est cruel.
Ex. S**ophie est cruelle.
Ex. Ils sont cruels.
Ex. Elles sont cruelles.
- intellectuel (m.) (s.)
- intellectuels (m.) (pl.)
- intellectuelle (f.) (s.)
- intellectuelles (f.) (pl.)
Ex. *C’est un étudiant intellectuel. *
Ex. *C’est une étudiante intellectuelle. *
Ex. *Ce sont des étudiants intellectuels. *
Ex. Ce sont des étudiantes intellectuelles.
These adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, you can see a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –if have a feminine form in –ive.
MASCULINE = –if
FEMININE = –ive
- actif (m.) (s.)
- actifs (m.) (pl.)
- active (f.) (s.)
- actives (f.) (pl.)
- naïf (m.) (s.)
- naïfs (m.) (pl.)
- naïve (f.) (s.)
- naïves (f.) (pl.)
- sportif (m.) (s.)
- sportifs (m.) (pl.)
- sportive (f.) (s.)
- sportives (f.) (pl.)
These adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, you can see a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –eur have a feminine form in –euse.
MASCULINE = –eur
FEMININE = –euse
- travailleur (m.) (s.)
- travailleurs (m.) (pl.)
- travailleuse (f.) (s.)
- travailleuses (f.) (pl.)
beautiful / handsome
- **beau **(m.) (s.)
- **beaux **(m.) (pl.)
- belle (f.) (s.)
- belles (f.) (pl.)
Beau/beaux are both pronounced:
“bouh”
Belle/belles are both pronounced:
“bell”
new
- nouveau (m.) (s.)
- nouveaux (m.) (pl.)
- nouvelle (f.) (s.)
- nouvelles (f.) (pl.)
Nouveau/nouveaux are both pronounced:
“nu-voh”
Nouvelle/nouvelles are both pronounced:
“nu-vehll”
foreign
- étranger (m.) (s.)
- étrangers (m.) (pl.)
- étrangère (f.) (s.)
- étrangères (f.) (pl.)
* Note that accent aigu é (“ey”) and accent grave è (“eh”) are both in this adjective. Know the difference! *
Étranger/étrangers are both pronounced:
“ey-trohng-zsey”
Étrangère/étrangères are both pronounced:
“ey-trohng-zher”
proud
- **fier **(m.) (s.)
- **fiers **(m.) (pl.)
- fiére (f.) (s.)
- fiéres (f.) (pl.)
All are pronounced:
“fee-yeihr”
courageous / brave
- courageux (m.) (s.)
- courageuse (f.) (s.)
- courageuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
Courageux is pronounced:
“kohr-ah-jeeyu”
Courageuse/courageuse are both pronounced:
“kohr-ah-jeeyooz”
Ex. Sophie et Paul sont courageuses.
curious
- curieux (m.) (s.)
- curieuse (f.) (s.)
- curieuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
Curieux is pronounced:
“kyoh-ree-yoo”
Curieuse/curieuses are both pronounced:
“kyoh-ree-yooz”
boring
- ennuyeux (m.) (s.)
- **ennuyeuse **(f.) (s.)
- ennuyeuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
Ennuyeux is pronounced:
“on-wee-yoo”
Ennuyeuse/ennuyeuses are both pronounced:
“on-wee-yooz”
generous
- généreux (m.) (s.)
- généreuse (f.) (s.)
- **généreuses **(f.) (m.) (pl.)
Généreux is pronounced:
“zshay-nay-roo”
Généreuse/généreuses are both pronounced:
“zshay-nay-rooz”
