Adjectives (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
Adjectives
Understanding adjective agreement
In French, adjectives must agree with the noun they describe. This means they change their form depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural. This concept is called agreement and is essential for accurate French.
Adjective agreement is one of the fundamental grammar rules in French that differs significantly from English. Unlike English adjectives which remain unchanged, French adjectives must constantly adapt to match their nouns.
Regular adjectives
Most French adjectives follow predictable patterns when they agree with nouns. Understanding these patterns will help you form correct agreements automatically with practice.
Standard agreement patterns
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine | |
| grand | grande | grands | grandes | |
| petit | petite | petits | petites |
Key rule: Add -e for feminine, -s for masculine plural, and -es for feminine plural.
Worked Example: Using Regular Adjectives
- Un petit garçon - A small boy (masculine singular)
- Une petite fille - A small girl (feminine singular)
- Les grands hommes - The tall men (masculine plural)
- Les grandes femmes - The tall women (feminine plural)
Notice how the adjective changes its ending to match each noun's gender and number.
Adjectives ending in -e
Some adjectives already end in -e, so they don't change for feminine forms. This makes them easier to use since you only need to add -s for plural forms:
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine | |
| juste | juste | justes | justes |
Less regular patterns
Certain adjectives have slightly different patterns that you should learn carefully:
| Singular | Plural | English | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine | ||
| long | longue | longs | longues | long | |
| blanc | blanche | blancs | blanches | white | |
| sec | sèche | secs | sèches | dry |
These adjectives often involve consonant changes or accent additions in the feminine form, making them slightly more complex than standard patterns.
Irregular adjectives
Several adjectives have completely irregular patterns that you need to memorise. These don't follow the standard rules, so regular practice is essential.
Adjectives ending in -x
These change their ending to -se in the feminine:
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine | |
| sérieux | sérieuse | sérieux | sérieuses |
Other similar adjectives: dangereux (dangerous), religieux (religious), heureux (happy)
Adjectives ending in -f
These change to -ve in the feminine:
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine | |
| actif | active | actifs | actives |
Other similar adjectives: sportif (sporty), positif (positive)
Adjectives ending in -er
These change to -ère in the feminine:
Pattern Examples:
- premier → première (first)
- dernier → dernière (last)
Adjectives ending in -en or -il
These double the consonant before adding -e in the feminine:
Consonant Doubling Examples:
- ancien → ancienne (ancient, old, former)
- pareil → pareille (same)
Completely irregular adjectives
Some adjectives don't change at all, regardless of the noun they describe:
Invariable adjectives:
- marron (brown)
- orange (orange)
These adjectives remain exactly the same for masculine, feminine, singular, and plural forms.
Position of adjectives
Understanding where to place adjectives is crucial for natural-sounding French. Unlike English, French has specific rules about adjective placement.
Most adjectives come after the noun
The standard position for French adjectives is after the noun they describe:
Standard Adjective Placement:
- les yeux bleus (blue eyes)
- les cheveux longs (long hair)
Common adjectives that come before the noun
Several frequently used adjectives appear before the noun. These are typically short, common adjectives that describe fundamental qualities:
Examples: grand (big), petit (small), nouveau/nouvelle (new), meilleur (best), vieux/vieille (old)
Pre-noun Adjective Examples:
- mon meilleur ami (my best friend - masculine)
- ma meilleure amie (my best friend - feminine)
Practice exercises
Test your understanding of adjective agreement and position with these translation exercises:
Translation Practice
Translate these sentences into French:
- A little black dog
- Last week
- My little brother is very active
- My best friend (f) is small and happy
- Her brother is tall, sporty but a bit serious
Answers:
- Un petit chien noir
- La semaine dernière
- Mon petit frère est très actif
- Ma meilleure amie est petite et heureuse
- Son frère est grand, sportif mais un peu sérieux
Key Points to Remember:
- French adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in gender and number
- Regular adjectives add -e for feminine, -s for masculine plural, -es for feminine plural
- Irregular adjectives have special patterns you must memorise (like -x to -se, -f to -ve)
- Most adjectives go after the noun, but common ones like grand, petit, nouveau, and meilleur go before
- Practice agreement patterns regularly - they're essential for GCSE success