Descriptive adjectives in French describe the qualities of nouns, such as size, color, and shape. They agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. Here’s a detailed guide on some common descriptive adjectives, including their forms and usage.
1. Agreement Rules for Descriptive Adjectives
- Masculine Singular: Base form
- Feminine Singular: Add -e to most adjectives
- Masculine Plural: Add -s
- Feminine Plural: Add -es
2. Common Descriptive Adjectives
Chart of Adjective Forms:
| Adjective | Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand | grand | grande | grands | grandes |
| Petit | petit | petite | petits | petites |
| Vieux | vieux | vieille | vieux | vieilles |
| Jeune | jeune | jeune | jeunes | jeunes |
| Beau | beau | belle | beaux | belles |
| Nouveau | nouveau | nouvelle | nouveaux | nouvelles |
| Long | long | longue | longs | longues |
| Court | court | courte | courts | courtes |
3. Examples of Usage
- Grand (Big/Tall)
- Masculine Singular: un grand bâtiment (a big building)
- Feminine Singular: une grande maison (a big house)
- Masculine Plural: des grands arbres (big trees)
- Feminine Plural: des grandes fenêtres (big windows)
- Petit (Small)
- Masculine Singular: un petit chien (a small dog)
- Feminine Singular: une petite chatte (a small cat)
- Masculine Plural: des petits chiens (small dogs)
- Feminine Plural: des petites chattes (small cats)
- Vieux (Old)
- Masculine Singular: un vieux livre (an old book)
- Feminine Singular: une vieille table (an old table)
- Masculine Plural: des vieux livres (old books)
- Feminine Plural: des vieilles tables (old tables)
- Jeune (Young)
- Masculine Singular: un jeune homme (a young man)
- Feminine Singular: une jeune femme (a young woman)
- Masculine Plural: des jeunes hommes (young men)
- Feminine Plural: des jeunes femmes (young women)
- Beau (Beautiful/Handsome)
- Masculine Singular: un beau jardin (a beautiful garden)
- Feminine Singular: une belle fleur (a beautiful flower)
- Masculine Plural: des beaux jardins (beautiful gardens)
- Feminine Plural: des belles fleurs (beautiful flowers)
- Nouveau (New)
- Masculine Singular: un nouveau téléphone (a new phone)
- Feminine Singular: une nouvelle voiture (a new car)
- Masculine Plural: des nouveaux téléphones (new phones)
- Feminine Plural: des nouvelles voitures (new cars)
- Long (Long)
- Masculine Singular: un long chemin (a long path)
- Feminine Singular: une longue route (a long road)
- Masculine Plural: des longs chemins (long paths)
- Feminine Plural: des longues routes (long roads)
- Court (Short)
- Masculine Singular: un court métrage (a short film)
- Feminine Singular: une courte histoire (a short story)
- Masculine Plural: des courts métrages (short films)
- Feminine Plural: des courtes histoires (short stories)
Summary
Descriptive adjectives in French must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. The base form is used for masculine singular, -e is added for feminine singular, -s for masculine plural, and -es for feminine plural. Understanding and applying these rules will help in accurately describing objects, people, and situations in French.