44 3.10: Structure – Adjectifs irréguliers
In this section, you will learn how to form irregular adjectives.
Listen to the audio clips that follow on this page to hear the French pronunciation of vocabulary and examples presented.
On étudie !
Formes irrégulières du féminin
(a) Below is a list of irregular adjective ending changes with examples.
|
Masculin |
Exemples |
Féminin |
Exemples |
|---|---|---|---|
|
-c |
blanc |
-che |
blanche |
|
-(i)er |
cher, premier |
-(i)ère |
chère, première |
|
-et |
secret |
-ète |
secrète |
|
-eur |
râleur |
-euse |
râleuse |
|
-eux |
heureux |
-euse |
heureuse |
|
-if |
créatif |
-ive |
créative |
|
-gu |
aigu |
-güe, -guë |
aigüe, aiguë |
| -as, -os, -on |
bas, gros, bon |
-asse, -osse, -onne |
basse, grosse, bonne |
|
-ien |
ancien |
-ienne |
ancienne |
|
-l |
formel, cruel, gentil |
-lle |
formelle, cruelle, gentille |
|
-x |
roux, faux |
-sse |
rousse, fausse |
- -c, -eur and -x can have different feminine endings, so be sure to consult a dictionary or someone else if you are not sure which way to go. See tables below for more on adjectives that end with -c and -x.
- The location of the tréma on -gu may vary. The feminine was originally spelled -guë and this is still very common, even though the spelling was officially changed to -güe in 1990.
(b) Some gender changes are unique to specific adjectives:
| Masculin | Féminin |
|---|---|
| doux | douce |
| favori | favorite |
| frais | fraîche |
| public | publique |
| long | longue |
(c) Some adjectives have identical masculine and feminine forms. This is generally the case with adjectives ending in e in their masculine form. For example:
| Masculin ou Féminin | Masculin ou Féminin | Masculin ou Féminin | Masculin ou Féminin |
|---|---|---|---|
| calme | difficile | mince | ironique |
| propre | imaginaire | riche | sensible |
| pauvre | minuscule | ridicule | semblable |
Formes irrégulières du pluriel
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:
- 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).
- Adjectives ending in -al in the masculine singular form change to -aux in the masculine plural form
The feminine plural form of these adjectives is regular; it is formed by simply adding an -s to the feminine singular form: Fred aime lire la presse internationale. Fred aime aussi les revues internationales. (Frec likes to read international papers. Fred also likes international magazines).
Position des adjectifs
While most adjectives are placed after the noun they modify, some adjectives may precede the noun. To know more about these, go to the Structure : Position des adjectifs.
On pratique !
Activité
Complétez les phrases la bonne forme de l’adjectif entre parenthèses.
- La rue est ________ (long)
- Il a des jambes _______ (mince)
- Le chat est _______ (gros)
- Ma mère est très __________ (heureux)
- C’est la ______ semaine. (premier)
On approfondit ! (Practice only-not graded)
Use the following resources to type accents and/or search for words:
- Accents: ç, à, é, è, â, ê, î, ô, û, ù, ë, ï, ü
- Dictionnaire français-anglais
