Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn how French adjectives agree in gender and number with nouns, and understand their placement before or after the noun. This lesson covers using adjectives like "grand," "petit," and "joli" in singular and plural forms, with practical examples to help you master French adjective agreement and placement at the A1 beginner level.
  1. The adjective can be either to the right or to the left of the noun it accompanies, or it can be separated from the noun by other elements.
SingulierPluriel
Adjectifs indéfinis Un grand hommeDes grands hommes
Une grande femmeDes grandes femmes
Adjectifs définis (Definite adjectives)La fille est petite  (The girl is small)Les filles sont petites  (The girls are small)
Le chien est petit  (The dog is small )Les chiens sont petits (The dogs are small)

Exercise 1: Adjectifs: Accord et place

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

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petits, grand, nouvelle, blond, rousses, vieilles, châtains, anciens

1. Nouvelle/Nouvelles:
Elle porte une veste.
(She is wearing a new jacket.)
2. Châtain/Châtains:
Il a les cheveux .
(He has chestnut hair.)
3. Ancien/Anciens:
Des livres sont intéressants.
(Old books are interesting.)
4. Rousse/Rousses:
Elles sont .
(They are ginger.)
5. Grand/Grands:
C'est un homme.
(He is a tall man.)
6. Vielle/Vielles:
Nous avons des chaises.
(We have old chairs.)
7. Blond/Blonds:
Il est .
(He is blond.)
8. Petit/Petits:
Ce sont de chiens.
(They are small dogs.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Mon frère est ____ et blond.

(My brother is ____ and blond.)

2. Elle a les cheveux ____ et raides.

(She has ____ and straight hair.)

3. Les ____ maisons ont beaucoup de charme.

(The ____ houses have a lot of charm.)

4. Il porte une ____ moustache.

(He wears a ____ mustache.)

5. Les filles ____ sont dans la classe.

(The ____ girls are in the class.)

6. Je ressemble à mon père, il est ____ et mince.

(I look like my father, he is ____ and thin.)

Understanding French Adjectives: Agreement and Placement

In this lesson, you will learn how to use French adjectives correctly, focusing on their agreement in gender and number as well as their placement relative to the noun. Adjectives in French must agree with the noun they describe, meaning they change form depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.

Gender and Number Agreement

French adjectives adjust endings to match the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun. For example, the adjective "grand" (big) changes to "grande" for a feminine noun and to "grands" or "grandes" for plural masculine or feminine nouns respectively.

Examples

  • Un grand homme — a tall man (singular masculine)
  • Une grande femme — a tall woman (singular feminine)
  • Des grands hommes — tall men (plural masculine)
  • Des grandes femmes — tall women (plural feminine)

Placement of Adjectives

Unlike English, French adjectives can appear either before or after the noun they modify. For example, "Une jolie moustache" (a pretty mustache) places the adjective before the noun, while "La fille est petite" (the girl is small) places it after the noun. Sometimes adjectives are separated from the noun by other words, which adds flexibility but may require practice to master.

Differences Between French and English Adjectives

In English, adjectives stay the same regardless of the noun’s gender or number and almost always come before the noun (e.g., "a small dog," "small dogs"). In French, however, adjectives must agree with gender and number, and their placement can vary. For example, "petit" changes to "petite" for a feminine noun and "petits" or "petites" for plural forms. Knowing these rules helps you form accurate and natural sentences.

Useful Phrases

  • Le chien est petit — The dog is small
  • Les chiens sont petits — The dogs are small
  • Elle a une jolie moustache — She has a pretty mustache
  • Les filles sont châtaines — The girls have chestnut (brown) hair

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team:

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Donia Ben Salem

Applied Foreign Languages

Université de Lorraine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 29/05/2025 15:44