Adjectives (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
French adjectives
French adjectives are describing words that must agree with the nouns they describe. This means they change their endings depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Understanding adjective agreement and position is essential for speaking and writing French correctly.
Agreement patterns
Regular adjectives
Most French adjectives follow predictable patterns when they agree with nouns. The basic rule is to start with the masculine singular form and add endings as needed:
- Masculine singular: No change (grand, petit)
- Feminine singular: Add -e (grande, petite)
- Masculine plural: Add -s (grands, petits)
- Feminine plural: Add -es (grandes, petites)
Some adjectives already end in -e in their masculine form, so they don't change for the feminine. For example, "timide" stays the same for both masculine and feminine, but still adds -s for plural forms.
Irregular adjectives
Several groups of adjectives have special patterns that you need to memorise:
Adjectives ending in -x
These change their ending to -se for the feminine form:
- sérieux → sérieuse (serious)
- dangereux → dangereuse (dangerous)
- heureux → heureuse (happy)
Adjectives ending in -f
These change to -ve in the feminine:
- actif → active (active)
- sportif → sportive (sporty)
Adjectives ending in -er
These change to -ère in the feminine:
- premier → première (first)
- dernier → dernière (last)
Adjectives ending in -en or -il
These double the final consonant before adding -e:
- ancien → ancienne (ancient, old, former)
- gentil → gentille (kind)
Completely irregular adjectives
Some adjectives have forms that don't follow any pattern and must be memorised:
- long → longue (long)
- frais → fraîche (fresh)
- sec → sèche (dry)
Position of adjectives
Understanding where to place adjectives is crucial for natural-sounding French.
Adjectives after the noun
Most French adjectives come after the noun they describe:
- les yeux bleus (blue eyes)
- les cheveux longs (long hair)
Adjectives before the noun
Some common adjectives come before the noun. These typically relate to beauty, age, goodness, and size:
- grand (big)
- petit (small)
- vieux/vieille (old)
- nouveau/nouvelle (new)
- joli (pretty)
- beau/belle (beautiful)
- meilleur (best)
Remember the acronym BAGS (Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size) to help you remember which adjectives typically come before the noun.
Adjectives that change meaning
A few adjectives have different meanings depending on their position:
Position Changes Meaning:
- mes pauvres amis = my poor friends (needing sympathy)
- mes amis pauvres = my poor friends (having little money)
- ma propre chambre = my own room
- ma chambre propre = my clean room
Useful vocabulary
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| grand(e) | big, tall | Comes before noun |
| petit(e) | small, little | Comes before noun |
| sérieux/sérieuse | serious | Irregular feminine form |
| actif/active | active | -f changes to -ve |
| premier/première | first | -er changes to -ère |
| ancien/ancienne | ancient, old, former | Doubles consonant |
| dangereux/dangereuse | dangerous | -x changes to -se |
| sportif/sportive | sporty | -f changes to -ve |
| heureux/heureuse | happy | -x changes to -se |
Sample Sentences:
Present tense:
- Mon meilleur ami est grand et sportif. (My best friend is tall and sporty.)
- Ma sœur est très active et heureuse. (My sister is very active and happy.)
- Les exercices sont difficiles mais intéressants. (The exercises are difficult but interesting.)
Past tense (passé composé):
- Elle a été très sérieuse pendant le cours. (She was very serious during the lesson.)
- Nous avons visité une ville ancienne. (We visited an ancient town.)
- Ils ont choisi la solution la plus active. (They chose the most active solution.)
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Pronunciation and Writing Tips:
- Remember that liaison occurs when an adjective starting with a vowel follows a plural noun: "des amis_intéressants"
- Silent letters: The final consonants of adjectives are often silent in masculine forms but pronounced in feminine forms
- When writing, always check that your adjectives agree with their nouns in both gender and number
- Practice with BAGS adjectives (Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size) as these commonly come before nouns
Translation Exercise:
French to English:
- un petit chien noir
- ma meilleure amie est sportive et heureuse
English to French:
3. My little brother is very active
4. Her brother is tall and sporty but a bit serious
Answers:
- a little black dog
- my best friend is sporty and happy
- Mon petit frère est très actif
- Son frère est grand et sportif mais un peu sérieux
Key Points to Remember:
- French adjectives must agree with their nouns in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural)
- Most adjectives come after the noun, but common adjectives relating to beauty, age, goodness, and size come before
- Irregular adjectives have special patterns: -x becomes -se, -f becomes -ve, -er becomes -ère
- Some adjectives change meaning depending on whether they come before or after the noun
- Always double-check your adjective agreements when writing in French