- Adjectives are words like clever, expensive and silly that tell you more about a noun (a living being, thing or idea). They can also tell you more about a pronoun, such as he or they. Adjectives are sometimes called ‘describing words’. They can be used right next to a noun they are describing, or can be separated from the noun by a verb like be, look, feel and so on.
- a clever girl
- an expensive coat
- a silly idea
- He’s just being silly.
- In English, the only time an adjective changes its form is when you are making a comparison.
- She’s cleverer than her brother.
- That’s the silliest idea I ever heard!
- In French, however, most adjectives agree with what they are describing. This means that their endings change depending on whether the person or thing you are referring to is masculine or feminine, and singular or plural.
| un mot français | a French word |
| une chanson française | a French song |
| des traditions françaises | French traditions |
- In English we put adjectives BEFORE the noun they describe, but in French you usually put them AFTER it.
| un chat noir | a black cat |
Key points
- Most French adjectives change their form, according to whether the person or thing they are describing is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
- In French adjectives usually go after the noun they describe.