Grammar: Adjectives - Agreement and Possessive

Grammar: Adjectives - Agreement and Possessive

Section: Adjective Agreement

• French adjectives usually have to agree in gender and number with the noun(s) they describe.
• The masculine singular form of the adjective is the basic, unaltered form that you find in the dictionary. For example, petit (small).
• To form the feminine singular, often add -e to the masculine singular. For example, “petite”. If the adjective already ends in -e, no additional -e is added for feminine form. For instance, facile (easy) remains the same.
• For masculine plural, append -s to the masculine singular. For instance, “petits”. However, if the adjective ends in -s or -x in the masculine singular form, no additional -s is added for the masculine plural. For example, français (French).
• For feminine plural, add -es to the feminine singular. For example, “petites”.

Section: Placement of Adjectives

• French adjectives normally go after the noun they describe. For example, “un chat noir” (a black cat).
• Some adjectives come before the noun, often those that describe beauty, age, goodness, and size - often remembered using the acronym BAGS.
• When an adjective precedes a noun beginning with a vowel or silent ‘h’, liaison occurs. For instance, “un vieux homme” (an old man) but “un vieil ami” (an old friend).

Section: Possessive Adjectives

• Possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, not with the possessor.
• In French, the forms are: mon (my-masc. sing.), ma (my-fem. sing.), mes (my-plural), ton (your-masc. sing.), ta (your-fem. sing.), tes (your-plural), son (his/her-masc. sing.), sa (his/her-fem. sing.), ses (his/her-plural), notre (our-any sing.), nos (our-plural), votre (your-formal sing./your-plural), vos (your-formal plural/their).
• Before a singular noun starting with a vowel or mute ‘h’, use mon, ton, or son for both masculine and feminine nouns. For example, “mon amie”.