French agreement rules require certain words to match the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the nouns or pronouns they relate to. This guide covers the key rules for past participles, adjectives, and other agreement contexts.
Past Participle Agreement Rules
Past participles in French must agree in gender and number when used in certain grammatical constructions.
| Rule | When to Agree | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agreement with *être | Past participles agree with the subject | Elle est partie. | She left. |
| Agreement with avoir + direct object before verb | Past participles agree with the preceding direct object | Les lettres que j’ai écrites | The letters that I wrote |
| No Agreement with avoir (no preceding direct object) | Past participle remains invariable | J’ai mangé une pomme. | I ate an apple. |
Special Cases:
- Reflexive verbs use être, so the past participle usually agrees with the reflexive pronoun (except when the reflexive pronoun is an indirect object).
- Past participles used as adjectives agree like regular adjectives.
She left early this morning.
Elle est partie tôt ce matin.
With the auxiliary être, the past participle 'partir' agrees with the subject 'elle' (feminine singular), so it becomes 'partie'.
Adjective Agreement Rules
Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe.
| Rule | Singular Masculine Ending | Singular Feminine Ending | Plural Masculine Ending | Plural Feminine Ending | Example (Masc. Sing.) | Example (Fem. Sing.) | Example (Masc. Pl.) | Example (Fem. Pl.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Base form | +e | +s | +es | petit | petite | petits | petites |
| Ending in -eux | -eux | -euse | -eux | -euses | heureux | heureuse | heureux | heureuses |
| Ending in -f | -f | -ve | -s | -ves | neuf | neuve | neufs | neuves |
Examples:
- Un chat noir, une chatte noire, des chats noirs, des chattes noires*
- Un homme heureux, une femme heureuse, des hommes heureux, des femmes heureuses*
Other Agreement Situations
| Situation | Rule | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agreement with Numbers and Quantifiers | Nouns after numbers are plural; adjectives agree accordingly | Trois grandes maisons | Three big houses |
| Agreement in Compound Nouns | Only the main noun dictates the plural; other parts often stay the same | des sels minéraux | mineral salts |
| Agreement in Relative Clauses | Past participle agrees with the relative pronoun if it is a direct object | La pomme que j’ai mangée | The apple that I ate |
Mineral salts are found in water.
Des sels minéraux se trouvent dans l’eau.
'Sels' is plural, but 'minéraux' remains plural masculine. In compound nouns like 'sels minéraux', the plural is applied to the noun, and the adjective usually matches the plural form.
Summary
- Past participles agree with subjects if used with être, and with preceding direct objects if used with avoir.
- Adjectives agree in gender and number, with specific patterns depending on their endings.
- Other words (pronouns, numerals) follow standard gender/number agreement rules.
Tips
- Memorize adjective agreement rules by endings.
- Identify direct objects before past participles when using avoir.
- Practice with examples to internalize exceptions and special cases.
Flashcards (1 of 6)
- Rule: Agreement with être
- When to Agree: Past participles agree with the subject
- Example (English): She left.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
