The adjective accompanies a noun to say how it is, what it is or of what kind it is. In une robe rouge, rouge gives a quality to robe. In un enfant calme, the adjective describes a state. Without an adjective, the noun remains more general; with the adjective, the meaning becomes more precise. The adjective can also be used in very common expressions like un grand arbre, une maison ancienne or des idées simples. To see how an adjective is formed, see Formation de l'Adjectif.

The adjective takes the same gender as the noun it accompanies. With a masculine noun, the masculine form is used: un voisin gentil. With a feminine noun, the feminine form is used: une voisine gentille. The change of gender is often visible at the end of the adjective. When the noun changes gender, the adjective changes too. We say un ami français but une amie française. Agreement depends on the noun, not the general sense of the sentence.

Agreement of gender with the noun

Idea
The adjective takes the same gender as the noun it describes.
In the feminine, many adjectives change form to follow the feminine noun.

The adjective also follows the number of the noun. With a singular noun, the adjective stays singular: un livre intéressant, une rue calme. With a plural noun, the adjective takes the plural: des livres intéressants, des rues calmes. If the noun is plural, all adjectives describing it take the same plural mark. In des personnes jeunes et actives, jeunes and actives agree with personnes. Number agreement is done at the same time as gender agreement when both change.

Number agreement with the noun

Idea
The adjective takes the same number as the noun it accompanies.
In plural, one often adds a plural marker to the adjective.

The regular feminine form is built most often by adding -e to the masculine form. Petit becomes petite, grand becomes grande, joli becomes jolie. When the masculine already ends with -e, the feminine form does not change: sympathique remains sympathique, large remains large. This form appears with feminine nouns: une table ronde, une voiture rouge, une voix claire. To learn about other models of formation, see Formation de l'Adjectif.

Regular feminine formation

Idea
We often add the letter e to the masculine form to make the feminine.
When the masculine already ends with e, the feminine form is often identical.

The regular plural is most often obtained by adding -s to the base form. Petit becomes petits, petite becomes petites, calme becomes calmes. In writing, this mark is common, but in speech it is not always heard. The adjective then follows the noun number: un enfant curieux, des enfants curieux; une histoire longue, des histoires longues. When several nouns are linked to the same adjective, the plural also applies: le garçon et la fille sont contents.

Regular plural formation

Idea
We often add the letter s to the base form to make the plural.
When the adjective ends already with s or x, it often keeps the same form in the plural.

Some adjectives keep the same form in masculine and feminine. This is often the case for adjectives that already end in -e: un film triste, une histoire triste. Many adjectives in -s or -x also do not change in the plural: un prix bas, des prix bas; un choix heureux, des choix heureux. Adjectives in -z also remain identical: un rythme régulier et précis, des rythmes réguliers et précis. In these forms, the agreement exists, but it is not always visible in writing. This regularity also serves in Adjectifs démonstratifs et Adjectifs indéfinis, where agreement with the noun remains essential.

Adjectives often invariable

Idea
Some adjectives keep the same form in masculine and feminine.
Some adjectives keep the same form in singular and plural.

Several adjectives form the feminine differently than by a simple -e. Some double the consonant: bon becomes bonne, ancien becomes ancienne. Others change ending: frais becomes fraîche, public becomes publique, neuf becomes neuve. Short adjectives have a very different feminine form: beau becomes belle, nouveau becomes nouvelle, vieux becomes vieille. These forms are used with feminine nouns: une bonne réponse, une vieille maison, une nouvelle idée. The irregular feminine is part of the forms to remember with common adjectives.

Irregular feminine to memorize

Idea
Some adjectives form their feminine with a different ending than e.
Some adjectives double a final consonant in the feminine.
Some adjectives change several letters in the feminine.

In French, the adjective often comes after the noun: une voiture rapide, un repas simple, des chaussures neuves. Some short and common adjectives come before the noun, notably those of beauty, size, age and good or bad judgment: un grand jardin, une jeune femme, un bon café, une petite chambre. The position can change the meaning in certain cases. Un homme pauvre describes his situation, while un pauvre homme expresses pity. Placement is also part of the functioning of Position de l'adjectif.

Common placement of the adjective

Usage	Explanation
After the noun	The adjective is often placed after the noun to give a simple, direct description.
Before the noun	The adjective is sometimes placed before the noun when it is common or very expressive.
Stylistic effect	You can change the place of the adjective to give a livelier effect to the sentence.

In speech, the final letter of the adjective is not always pronounced. Petit, petite, petits and petites do not have the same pronunciation, but the written plural marker often remains silent. When the adjective starts with a vowel or a muted h, some liaison appears: un grand ami, des petits enfants. Several adjectives also have literary or regional variants, especially in older or careful uses, but the common form remains that of everyday use. In reading and speech, the chosen form must correspond to the noun, gender and number.

Forme soignéeLiaison discrèteUsage attentif

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Dans certains contextes formels, on fait attention à la clarté des finales pour éviter toute confusionÀ l oral, on peut entendre la lettre finale de certains adjectifs devant un mot qui commence par une voyelleDans un style très soigné, on prononce parfois des finales plus nettement qu à l ordinaire

Pronunciation and usages depending on context

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
France	Liaison discrète	Orally, you may hear the final letter of certain adjectives before a word that starts with a vowel.	Un grand ami arriveA grand ami arrives
Belgium	Forme soignée	In a very polished style, you sometimes pronounce the endings more clearly than usual.	Une belle histoireA beautiful histoire
Switzerland	Usage attentif	In certain formal contexts, one pays attention to the clarity of the endings to avoid any confusion.	Des petits amis très polisDes petits amis very polite

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