Adjective Agreement in French
L’accord des adjectifs
In French, adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender and number. This agreement affects the form of the adjective.
Example: Une maison blanche. / Des maisons blanches.
Why Adjective Agreement Matters
Adjectives change form depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
| Noun | Masculine Form | Feminine Form |
|---|---|---|
| boy / girl | un garçon intelligent | une fille intelligente |
| book / story | un livre intéressant | une histoire intéressante |
| friend | un ami gentil | une amie gentille |
Gender Agreement
Most adjectives form the feminine by adding -e to the masculine form.
| Masculine | Feminine | Example |
|---|---|---|
| petit | petite | une petite voiture |
| grand | grande | une grande ville |
| jeune | jeune | une fille jeune |
- Add -e to form the feminine
- If masculine already ends in -e, it does not change
- Some adjectives have irregular feminine forms
Number Agreement (Plural)
Most adjectives form the plural by adding -s.
| Singular | Plural | Example |
|---|---|---|
| petit | petits | des petits chiens |
| grand | grands | des grands arbres |
| heureux | heureux | des enfants heureux |
- Add -s in the plural
- Adjectives ending in -s or -x do not change
Adjective Meaning and Position
Some adjectives change meaning depending on their position.
| Before Noun | After Noun | Meaning Change |
|---|---|---|
| un ancien professeur | un professeur ancien | former vs old |
| un grand homme | un homme grand | great vs tall |
| une chère amie | une amie chère | dear vs expensive |
Adjective Position
Most adjectives come after the noun, but some common adjectives come before it.
- Adjectives of beauty, age, goodness, and size (BAGS) often come before the noun
- Most descriptive adjectives come after the noun
Irregular Feminine Forms
Some adjectives change spelling in the feminine form.
| Masculine | Feminine | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bon | bonne | une bonne idée |
| ancien | ancienne | une maison ancienne |
| heureux | heureuse | une femme heureuse |
| actif | active | une personne active |
Common Learner Questions
Helpful questions when choosing the correct adjective form:
- Is the noun masculine or feminine?
- Is the noun singular or plural?
- Does the adjective have an irregular form?
- Does the adjective come before or after the noun?
Example Sentences
C’est une idée intéressante.It is an interesting idea.
Les grandes maisons sont anciennes.The big houses are old.
Un ancien ami m’appelle.A former friend is calling me.
Des enfants heureux jouent dehors.Happy children are playing outside.
un petit garçona small boytype: Before noun
une maison blanchea white housetype: After noun
Pronunciation Notes
Feminine and plural endings are often silent but affect liaison.
Gender and Number Combined
Adjectives must agree in both gender and number at the same time.
| Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| petit | petite | petits | petites |
| intéressant | intéressante | intéressants | intéressantes |
un grand amiliaison with d sound
des amis intéressantsliaison with z sound