Understanding the Agreement of Nouns and Adjectives in French
In French, nouns and adjectives must agree with each other. This means they need to match in gender and number. Let's explore what this means and how you can use it.
Every noun in French has a gender: it is either masculine or feminine. Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. If the noun is masculine, the adjective should be in its masculine form. If the noun is feminine, the adjective should be in its feminine form.
Examples
- Un chat noir (A black cat - masculine)
- Une chaise noire (A black chair - feminine)
Nouns can also be singular or plural. Adjectives must agree in number with the noun. If the noun is singular, the adjective stays singular. If the noun is plural, the adjective becomes plural too.
Examples
- Un chien heureux (A happy dog - singular)
- Des chiens heureux (Happy dogs - plural)
Important Points
- Some adjectives have irregular forms and change differently.
- If an adjective already ends in 's' or 'x', it usually does not change in the plural form.
- Adjectives that end in 'e' in the masculine form often do not change for the feminine form.
Examples
- Un homme heureux (A happy man)
- Une femme heureuse (A happy woman)