French Adjectives ~ Adjectifs

An adjective is a word that modifies a noun by describing it in some way: shape, color, size, nationality, etc. French adjectives are very different from English adjectives in two ways:

1. French adjectives change to agree in gender and number with the nouns that they modify, which means there can be up to four forms of each adjective:

Adjective: joli (pretty)
   Masculine singular   joli
   Feminine singular   jolie
   Masculine plural   jolis
   Feminine plural   jolies

Learn more: Agreement of French adjectives


2. In English, adjectives are always found in front of the noun, but most French adjectives follow the noun they modify:

   un livre vert - green book
   un professeur intelligent - smart teacher

But there are some French adjectives that precede the noun:

   un beau garçon - handsome boy
   un petit verre - small glass

Learn more: Position of French adjectives