Formation of Adjectives
In French, all adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. First let's discuss a few rules for creating the feminine forms of adjectives from the masculine form.
1. Oftentimes the feminine singular is formed by adding an e to the masculine singular. Examples:
noir � noire
fran�ais � fran�aise
grand � grande
content � contente
2. If the masculine singular already ends in a mute e, the feminine singular is the same. Examples:
possible � possible
bizarre � bizarre
libre � libre
triste � triste
*NB: This does not include adjectives that end in �. Adjectives that end in � fall into category no. 1, above.
3. If the masculine singular ends in eux or oux, the feminine singular ends in euse or ouse. Examples:
paresseux � paresseuse
dangereux � dangereuse
nerveux � nerveuse
jaloux � jalouse
4. If the masculine singular ends in er, the feminine singular ends in �re. Examples:
entier � enti�re
leger � leg�re
dernier � derni�re
�tranger � �trang�re
5. If the masculine singular ends in f, the feminine singular ends in ve. Examples:
actif � active
na�f � na�ve
neuf � neuve
sportif � sportive
6. For certain adjectives whose masculine singular form ends in a vowel followed by a single consonant (usually l, n, s, or t), the feminine singular is formed by doubling the final consonant and adding an e. Examples:
quel � quelle
violet � violette
canadien � canadienne
bas � basse
*NB: Adjectives that end in on or en generally follow this rule. Adjectives that end in ain generally follow rule no. 1, above. Adjectives ending in et are another special case: sometimes they follow rule no. 6, other times they follow rule no. 7, below. It is best to learn how the feminine is formed when you learn the adjectives that end in et. Adjectives ending in n are more predictable, but it is a good habit to learn the different forms of an adjective when you first learn the adjective, because there are some irregular ones.
7. A few adjectives ending in et in the masculine singular end in �te in the feminine singular. Examples:
complet � compl�te
concret � concr�te
discret � discr�te
indiscret � indiscr�te
inquiet � inqui�te
replet � repl�te
Now let's discuss how adjectives change to become plural.
8. Most adjectives (masculine and feminine) become plural by adding an s. Examples:
long � longs
gentil � gentils
jolie � jolies
br�l�e � br�l�es
9. If the singular already ends in s or x, the plural is the same. Examples:
gris � gris
curieux � curieux
irlandais � irlandais
vieux � vieux
This means that there are some (actually, many) adjectives whose feminine plural is formed by adding an s, but whose masculine plural is the same as the masculine singular. Example:
| Masculine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Singular | Feminine Plural |
| chinois | chinois | chinoise | chinoises |
10. If an adjective ends in eau, eu, or ou in the singular, add an x to make it plural. Examples:
beau � beaux
nouveau � nouveau
Exception: bleu � bleus.
11. Most masculine adjectives (and nouns, by the way) ending in al in the singular end in aux in the plural. These adjectives will end in ale in the feminine singular, so for the feminine plural, just add s. Examples:
�gal � �gaux
loyal � loyaux
social � sociaux
national � nationaux
Exceptions: banal, fatal, glacial, natal, naval.
12. Adjectives of color that are the same as names of objects generally do not change in the feminine or the plural. Examples:
rose � rose
marron � marron
orange � orange
There are also several irregular adjectives, whose different forms must be memorized. Even though beau, fou, mou, nouveau, and vieux follow the rules for becoming plural, they are irregular in the feminine form, and they have an extra form that most other adjectives do not have. To learn about irregular adjectives, including these five, click here.
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