active
pleasant
ambitious
funny
arrogant
calm
competitive
creative
curious
resourceful
unpleasant
funny
selfish
boring
enthusiastic
to be in a good mood
to be in a bad mood
crazy
frank
generous
kind, nice
happy
honest
hypocritical
idealistic
incapable, incompetent
indifferent
intelligent
interesting
dishonest
cute
naive
nervous
optimistic
lazy
patient
pessimistic
pretentious
realistic
reserved
sensitive
serious
sincere
sociable
athletic
stubborn
shy, timid
tolerant
hard-working
Regular adjectives are formed by adding an e to the masculine form in the singular (content / contente), or by adding an s to the masculine and feminine forms in the plural (Sam et Edouard sont contents / Sacha et Sophie sont contentes). This group of adjectives is by far the most common. There are, however, a number of adjectives which are called irregular, because they do not have the normal -e, -s, or -es endings. The endings of these irregular adjectives vary widely and often change the pronunciation. gender
Some adjectives are completely irregular:
Some adjectives have identical masculine and feminine forms. This is generally the case with adjectives ending in e in their masculine form and with foreign adjectives like ‘snob’, ‘cool’, etc. For example: Sam est un homme d’affaires riche; Sophie aussi est une femme d’affaires riche. Ils sont riches. (Sam is a rich businessman; Sophie too is a rich businesswoman. They are rich.) Here are a few of these adjectives:
number
The majority of adjectives are regular in the plural; that is, an –s is added to the singular masculine or feminine forms. There are two major exceptions to this rule:
1.
Do not add an s to the masculine form of adjectives ending in s or x. The masculine singular and plural forms are thus identical: un animal heureux (a happy animal), des animaux heureux (happy animals). However, the feminine plural form of these adjectives is regular; it is formed by simply adding an s to the feminine singular form: une fille heureuse (a happy girl), des filles heureuses(happy girls).
2.
Adjectives ending in al in the masculine singular form change to auxin the masculine plural form.
Sam est un étudiant international. Alex et Edouard sont des étudiants internationaux.
Sam is an international student. Alex and Edouard are international students.
The feminine plural form of these adjectives is regular; it is formed by simply adding an s to the feminine singular form: Sam aime lire la presse internationale. Sam aime aussi les revues internationales. (Sam likes to read international papers. Sam also likes international magazines).
Listen to this dialogue:
Sam: Comment ça va?
Sam: But, what’s wrong?
Sophie: Ça va! Je suis toujours calme! Sois franc Tex. Sauriez-vous me décrire?
Sophie: I’m alright! I am is always calm! Be frank Sam. Would you know how to describe me?
Sam: Oui! Tu es gentille! C’est une bonne amie! Pourquoi voulez-vous savoir?
Sam: Yes! She is nice! She is a good friend! Why do you want to know?
Sophie: Comme tu es aimable! Mon frère me raconte que tu me trouves ennuyeuse. C’est vrai?
Sophie: You are so kind! My brother tells me that you think I’m boring. Is that true?
Sam: Tu es folle! C’est une fausse accusation!
Sam: You’re crazy! It’s a false accusation!
Sophie: Hmm … Tu veux que je t’explique? C’est très clair. Il est jaloux! Il essaie de nous séparer, nous des amis si loyaux!
Sophie: Hmm … Do you want me to explain? It’s very clear. He is jealous! It’s the classic plot. He is trying to separate us, such loyal friends!
The placement of most adjectives in French is after the noun: un garçon parlant, une fille travailleuse, des étudiants intelligents, etc. There is a small group of adjectives, however, that normally precede the noun. These adjectives may be categorized as adjectives of Beauty, Age, Numbers Goodness, and Size (BANGS).
beau, nouveau, vieux Beau, nouveau, and vieux have irregular forms. Note the special forms in the masculine singular when they precede a word that begins with a vowel or a silent h.
The adjectives which precede the noun must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify (see the regular rule for adjective formation). Be aware that changing the position of some adjectives may change their meaning. Listen to this dialogue:
Sam et Sacha regardent le nouvel album de famille de Rita.
Sam and Sacha are looking at Rita’s new family album.
Sacha: Qui est cette belle femme?
Sacha: Who is that beautiful woman?
Rita: C’est notre mère.
Rita: That’s our mother.
Sacha: Et qui sont ces autres personnes?
Sacha: And who are these other people?
Rita: Le vieil homme, c’est grand-pêre Louis. Et puis, à côté, c’est moi.
Rita: The old man, that’s Grandpa Louis. And then, next to him, that’s me.
Sam: Et ce petit bébé, qui est-ce? Comme il est laid!
Sam: And the little baby, who is it? Boy is he ugly!
Rita: C’est toi, Sam. C’est la première photo de toi.
Rita: That’s you, Sam. It’s the first picture of you.
2.il/elle est / ils/elles sont
To describe and introduce things or people in French, two common phrases are used: c’est and il/elle/iel est. The plural forms are ce sont and ils/elles/iels sont.
The choice between c’est and il / elle/ielest is not always easy, but there are basic principles which can guide you in the choice. A rule of thumb is that c’est or ce sont are followed by a determined noun (‘une Américaine’, ‘mes livres’). Remember that nouns in French are preceded by a determiner. Il/elle/iel est and ils/elles/iels sont are followed by an adjective (‘content’, ‘sympathique’). c’est/ce sont C’estand ce sont are followed by the following:
+ noun, including modified nouns
Sam? C’est un étudiant. C’est un Américain. C’est un petit étudiant bilingue.
Sam? He’s an student. He is an American. He is a small bilingual student.
Sacha et Sam? Non, ce nesont pas des professeurs! Ce sont des étudiants.
Sacha and Sam? No they are not professors! They are students.
Remember thatil(s), elle(s), and iel(s) refer to a specific person or thing.Ce does not refer to a specific person or thing; it is usually translated as that.
Adjectives are frequently used to compare things, people, events, ideas etc. Plus … queconveys the idea of ‘more … than’, moins … que the idea of ‘less than.’
Sam est plus intelligent quemoi.
Sam is more intelligent than me.
Mais je suis moins prétentieux que Sam.
But I am less pretentious than Sam.
Bien sûr, il est plusdifficile d’être professeur que d’être étudiant!
Of course, it is more difficult to be a professor than to be a student.
The adjectives bonand mauvaishave irregular forms of comparison, meilleurand pire. However, the regular form plus mauvais que has become commonly accepted. Note that this irregularity is found in English too with ‘better’ (not *gooder) and ‘worse’ (not *badder).
Sophie pense qu’elle serait un meilleurprofesseur queMarie.
Sophie thinks she would be a better professor than Marie.
