How Do Adjectives Match Nouns in Gender and Number?

In French, adjectives need to match the nouns they describe. This means they have to agree in two ways: gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Understanding this is important for speaking French correctly.

1. Gender Agreement

• Masculine Adjectives: These adjectives describe masculine nouns. They often end with a consonant, a vowel, or an "e."

  • Example: un garçon intelligent (an intelligent boy)

• Feminine Adjectives: To change a masculine adjective to feminine, you usually add an "e" to the end.

  • Example: une fille intelligente (an intelligent girl)

If the masculine adjective already ends in "e," it stays the same in the feminine form.

• Example: un homme libre (a free man) / une femme libre (a free woman)

2. Number Agreement

• Singular Adjectives: These are for one noun.

  • Example: un chat noir (a black cat, masculine) / une chatte noire (a black cat, feminine)

• Plural Adjectives: To make adjectives plural, you usually add "s" to the end.

  • Example: des chats noirs (black cats, masculine plural) / des chattes noires (black cats, feminine plural)

3. Combining Gender and Number

When you combine gender and number, be sure the adjective matches both.

• Example:
  • Masculine Singular: Le livre intéressant (the interesting book)
  • Feminine Singular: La chanson intéressante (the interesting song)
  • Masculine Plural: Les livres intéressants (the interesting books)
  • Feminine Plural: Les chansons intéressantes (the interesting songs)

Vocabulary to Remember

• Masculine Adjective Examples: grand (tall), petit (small), heureux (happy)
• Feminine Adjective Examples: grande, petite, heureuse
• Plural Form: Just add "s" for both masculine and feminine.

Conclusion

In conclusion, getting the adjective agreement right in French is very important for speaking well. Always check the gender and number of the nouns you are working with and adjust the adjectives to match. This helps improve your grammar and makes you a better French speaker. Practice these rules with different nouns and adjectives, and it will soon feel easy!