Adjectives Agreement in French: An Explanation

If you’re learning French, one of the most important grammar rules to understand is adjectives agreement. Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns, and in French, they must agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun they modify. This may seem complicated at first, but understanding the rules of adjectives agreement in French is essential to speaking and writing accurately.

Gender Agreement

In French, nouns have gender: they are either masculine or feminine. Adjectives that describe masculine nouns must end in -eau, -eu, -ien, -on, -if, or -el. Adjectives that describe feminine nouns must end in -euse, -enne, -ale, -elle, -ine, or -ique. For example:

Le chat noir (the black cat)

La robe rouge (the red dress)

In some cases, the masculine and feminine forms of an adjective are spelled differently. For example:

Grand (masculine) and grande (feminine) both mean “big”

Number Agreement

In addition to gender, French adjectives must also agree in number with the noun or pronoun they modify. If the noun or pronoun is singular, the adjective must also be singular. If the noun or pronoun is plural, the adjective must also be plural. For example:

Le chat noir (the black cat)

Les chats noirs (the black cats)

In some cases, the masculine and feminine plural forms of an adjective are spelled differently. For example:

Petit (masculine singular), petite (feminine singular), petits (masculine plural), and petites (feminine plural) all mean “small”

Exceptions to the Rules

As with any grammar rule, there are exceptions to French adjectives agreement. Some adjectives do not change at all, regardless of the gender or number of the noun or pronoun they modify. These include adjectives that end in -s, -x, or -z, as well as those that are already feminine or plural. For example:

Un livre intéressant (an interesting book)

Des livres intéressants (interesting books)

Une voiture rouge (a red car)

Des voitures rouges (red cars)

Conclusion

Adjectives agreement is a fundamental grammar rule in French that must be followed in order to speak and write accurately. By understanding the gender and number rules for adjectives, as well as the exceptions to these rules, you can improve your French language skills and effectively communicate in this beautiful Romance language.