In French, some describing words, called adjectives, can mean different things depending on where they are in a sentence. They can come before or after the noun (the thing they are describing). Knowing this is important for better understanding the language. Here are some examples of adjectives that show this:

1. Beau / Joli

• Before the noun: un beau paysage (a beautiful view)
• After the noun: un paysage beau (this sounds strange and isn’t used much)

2. Vieux / Vieil

• Before the noun: un vieux livre (an old, valuable book)
• After the noun: un livre vieux (just saying it’s an old book)

3. Grand / Petit

• Before the noun: un grand homme (a great man or someone important)
• After the noun: un homme grand (just a tall man)

4. Cher

• Before the noun: un cher ami (a dear friend)
• After the noun: un livre cher (an expensive book)

5. Dernier

• Before the noun: le dernier chapitre (the last chapter)
• After the noun: un chapitre dernier (this way is incorrect)

Matching Adjectives with Nouns

In French, adjectives must match the nouns they describe. They match in two ways: gender (male or female) and number (singular or plural). Here are some rules:

• A feminine adjective usually ends in -e.
• A masculine plural often ends in -s.

Practice Sentences

• Une petite maison (a small house) — (feminine)
• Des grands arbres (tall trees) — (plural)
• Un beau tableau (a beautiful painting) — (masculine)

Understanding these differences can really help you get better at French!