adjectifs
The English phrase "adjectives" is adjectifs in French.
The masculine singular form of an adjective can be un homme intelligent (an intelligent man). To form the masculine plural, add an -s to the masculine singular form, such as des hommes intelligents (intelligent men). The feminine singular form of an adjective can be une femme intelligente (an intelligent woman). To form the feminine plural, add an -es to the feminine singular form, such as des femmes intelligentes (intelligent women).
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of the word is adjectif. The comparative is expressed using plus + adjective + que, such as plus grand que (taller than) or plus belle que (more beautiful than). The superlative is expressed using le/la/les plus + adjective, such as le plus grand (the tallest) or la plus belle (the most beautiful).
Did you know?
- In French, some adjectives change their meaning entirely depending on whether they are placed before or after the noun, such as un grand homme meaning 'a great man' versus un homme grand meaning 'a tall man'.
- While most French adjectifs agree with the noun, some 'invariable' adjectives do not change for gender or number, such as marron (maroon) when describing a color.
- The word adjectif shares the same Latin root as the English word 'adjunct', coming from the Latin 'adjectivus' meaning 'added to'.
Examples in context
- Où sont placés les adjectifs la plupart du temps ?Where do adjectives usually go?This sentence is useful for asking about the typical placement of adjectifs.Tatoeba #11042893 by felix63, translation #11042932 by shekitten
- En espéranto les adjectifs finissent par « a », on forme le pluriel en ajoutant un « j ».In Esperanto, adjectives end in "a". The plural is formed by adding "j".This sentence is useful for noting how adjectifs are formed in Esperanto.Tatoeba #1416191 by martin9, translation #10501935 by tchrspet1
- Écrivez un paragraphe en utilisant des adjectifs pour décrire l'apparence d'une personne.Write a paragraph using adjectives to describe a person's appearance.This sentence is useful for practicing how to use adjectifs to describe appearance.Tatoeba #8571152 by Aiji, translation #7963705 by AlanF_US
- Un bel hommeA handsome man
- Une grande maisonA big house
- Un bon amiA good friend
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are discussing a French grammar exercise.
- ManonEst-ce que tu as compris l'exercice sur les adjectifs ?Did you understand the exercise about adjectives?
- HugoNon, je trouve les adjectifs un peu difficiles.No, I find adjectives a bit difficult.
- ManonC'est vrai, mais l'accord est important.It's true, but the agreement is important.
- HugoTu as raison, je vais encore pratiquer.You are right, I will practice more.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
