French/Lessons/Description

Mark is describing someone: 'Il est blond. Il est assez petit. Il est très intelligent. Il est sympa.'

George is describing someone: 'Elle est assez grosse. Elle est très amusante et assez patiente.'

Chantal is describing a group of her friends: 'Ils sont extrêmement amusants. Ils sont assez forts.'

Like articles, French adjectives match the nouns that they modify in gender and number.

Regular formation
Most adjective changes occur in the following manner:


 * Feminine: add an -e to the masculine form
 * un garçon intéressant → une fille intéressante
 * un ami amusant → une amie amusante
 * un camion lent → une voiture lente
 * Plural: add an -s to the singular form
 * un garçon intéressant → des garçons intéressants
 * une fille intéressante → des filles intéressantes

Pronunciation
Generally, the final consonant is pronounced only when it comes before an -e. Most adjectives, such as those above, are affected by this rule.


 * Masculine pronunciation:
 * Feminine pronunciation:
 * Feminine pronunciation:
 * Feminine pronunciation:
 * Feminine pronunciation:

With plural adjectives, the -s ending is not pronounced, so the adjective will sound exactly the same as the singular form.

Adjectives that end in e in the masculine form do not change in gender. When an adjective, such as gros, ends in -s, it does not change in the masculine plural form. Sometimes the final consonant is doubled in the feminine form.

The adjectives ce, cet, and cette mean this or that, and the adjective ces means these or those.

The adjective used must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies:

To be more precise or to avoid ambiguity, or  can be inserted after the noun:



Natasha is describing a friend: 'Elle est très forte, elle est grande, et elle est intelligente.'

Marc is describing someone: 'Il est handicapé; il est sourd et muet.'

Jules is describing a group of his friends: 'Ils sont très polis, attachants et sincères.'