French Adjective Agreement: Matching Gender and Number
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In French, adjectives must change their ending to match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they describe.
- Add -e for feminine: Le petit garçon / La petite fille.
- Add -s for plural: Les garçons sont petits / Les filles sont petites.
- If it ends in -e, it stays the same in feminine: Un livre rouge / Une pomme rouge.
Overview
Adjective agreement is a cornerstone of French grammar, distinguishing it significantly from English. In French, adjectives are not static; they are dynamic elements that must agree in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they modify. This fundamental principle ensures grammatical harmony and clarity, reflecting French as a language where grammatical relations are often overtly marked on words themselves.
The systematic changes in adjective endings help clarify which noun an adjective refers to, even in complex sentences.
Consider the difference: in English, you say a blue car and blue cars, or a blue book and blue books. The adjective blue remains unchanged. In French, however, une voiture bleue (a blue car) and des voitures bleues (blue cars) demonstrate distinct changes.
The adjective bleu (blue) adapts its form to match voiture (feminine, singular) and voitures (feminine, plural). This attention to detail is a hallmark of French linguistic precision, which you'll encounter repeatedly.
Understanding and consistently applying adjective agreement is crucial for sounding natural and being understood accurately. It moves your French beyond a simplistic, word-for-word translation, allowing you to build grammatically correct and elegant sentences. While it may seem daunting initially, recognizing the patterns and practicing regularly will make it an intuitive part of your French communication.
How This Grammar Works
livre (book) is masculine singular, table (table) is feminine singular, amis (friends) is masculine plural, and fleurs (flowers) is feminine plural. Adjectives act as descriptive words, and their form must meticulously align with the gender and number of the noun they describe.agrees with its noun.-e.petit (small) sounds like /pə.ti/. When it modifies a feminine noun, it becomes petite (feminine singular), pronounced /pə.tit/, where the t is now audible. Similarly, for masculine plural, petits is pronounced /pə.ti/, but for feminine plural, petites is pronounced /pə.tit/.un homme grand (a tall man) or une maison grande (a large house), though exceptions exist, as discussed later.Formation Pattern
-e for feminine singular, -s for masculine plural, and -es for feminine plural.
grand (tall) | grande | grands | grandes |
petit (small) | petite | petits | petites |
vert (green) | verte | verts | vertes |
un grand arbre (a tall tree)
une grande table (a large table)
des petits chiens (small dogs)
des petites maisons (small houses)
rouge (red) | rouge | rouges | rouges |
facile (easy) | facile | faciles | faciles |
un stylo rouge (a red pen)
une fleur rouge (a red flower)
des exercices faciles (easy exercises)
des tâches faciles (easy tasks)
s to sse or x to se.
gros (fat) | grosse | gros | grosses |
heureux (happy) | heureuse | heureux | heureuses |
un gros chat (a fat cat)
une grosse voiture (a big car)
un homme heureux (a happy man)
une femme heureuse (a happy woman)
-e for the feminine form. This is a very common pattern.
bon (good) | bonne | bons | bonnes |
ancien (ancient) | ancienne | anciens | anciennes |
gentil (kind) | gentille | gentils | gentilles |
nul (bad, null) | nulle | nuls | nulles |
un bon café (a good coffee)
une bonne idée (a good idea)
des anciens amis (old friends)
des anciennes maisons (old houses)
-f change to -ve in the feminine.
sportif (athletic) | sportive | sportifs | sportives |
neuf (new) | neuve | neufs | neuves |
un film sportif (an athletic film)
une activité sportive (a sporting activity)
-c often change to -que or -che.
public (public) | publique | publics | publiques |
blanc (white) | blanche | blancs | blanches |
un lieu public (a public place)
une place publique (a public square)
-g typically change to -gue.
long (long) | longue | longs | longues |
un long voyage (a long journey)
une longue attente (a long wait)
beau/nouveau/vieux group: These highly irregular adjectives have special forms depending on whether they precede a masculine noun starting with a vowel or a silent h.
beau (beautiful) | bel | belle | beaux | belles |
nouveau (new) | nouvel | nouvelle | nouveaux | nouvelles |
vieux (old) | vieil | vieille | vieux | vieilles |
un beau garçon (a handsome boy) / un bel homme (a handsome man)
une belle femme (a beautiful woman) / de belles fleurs (beautiful flowers)
un nouveau livre (a new book) / un nouvel appartement (a new apartment)
une nouvelle voiture (a new car)
un vieux film (an old film) / un vieil ami (an old friend)
une vieille dame (an old lady)
orange | orange | un pull orange | des robes orange |
marron | brown | un œil marron | des chaussures marron |
prune | plum | un manteau prune | des vestes prune |
bleu clair, vert foncé) are generally invariable too, with each component remaining fixed. For example, des yeux bleu clair (light blue eyes).
When To Use It
J'ai acheté un grand livre.(I bought a big book.) —grand(masc. sg.) agrees withlivre(masc. sg.).Elle porte une robe verte.(She is wearing a green dress.) —verte(fem. sg.) agrees withrobe(fem. sg.).Nous avons des bons amis.(We have good friends.) —bons(masc. pl.) agrees withamis(masc. pl.).Elles ont des petites fleurs.(They have small flowers.) —petites(fem. pl.) agrees withfleurs(fem. pl.).
être - to be, sembler - to seem, devenir - to become), it still agrees with the subject of the verb. The adjective acts as a predicate adjective, describing the subject's state or quality.Mon père est fatigué.(My father is tired.) —fatigué(masc. sg.) agrees withpère(masc. sg.).Ma mère est fatiguée.(My mother is tired.) —fatiguée(fem. sg.) agrees withmère(fem. sg.).Les étudiants semblent heureux.(The students seem happy.) —heureux(masc. pl.) agrees withétudiants(masc. pl.).Les étudiantes semblent heureuses.(The students seem happy.) —heureuses(fem. pl.) agrees withétudiantes(fem. pl.).
Il est blond), to emotional states (Elle est triste), to characteristics of objects (Ces maisons sont anciennes). Consistent application reinforces clarity and grammatical correctness, regardless of whether the adjective is before or after the noun, or connected by a verb. French's logical structure demands this constant relationship between the noun and its descriptor.Common Mistakes
masculine singular) if it modifies a feminine or plural noun.- Incorrect:
une voiture vert - Correct:
une voiture verte(a green car)
le or la as a clue, or a dictionary) and its number before attaching an adjective.- Incorrect:
des chaises grand - Correct:
des chaises grandes(big chairs) –chaiseis feminine,desindicates plural.
Adjective Agreement Patterns
| Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
|
grand
|
grande
|
grands
|
grandes
|
|
heureux
|
heureuse
|
heureux
|
heureuses
|
|
sportif
|
sportive
|
sportifs
|
sportives
|
|
nouveau
|
nouvelle
|
nouveaux
|
nouvelles
|
|
bleu
|
bleue
|
bleus
|
bleues
|
|
facile
|
facile
|
faciles
|
faciles
|
|
gros
|
grosse
|
gros
|
grosses
|
|
blanc
|
blanche
|
blancs
|
blanches
|
Meanings
Adjective agreement is the grammatical process where adjectives modify their form to reflect the gender and number of the noun they modify.
Basic Agreement
Standard modification of adjectives based on noun attributes.
“Il est grand.”
“Elle est grande.”
Invariable Adjectives
Adjectives that do not change form regardless of gender or number.
“Une robe orange.”
“Des chaussures orange.”
Irregular Agreement
Adjectives with special spelling changes in the feminine.
“Un homme heureux.”
“Une femme heureuse.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun + Adjective
|
Le livre est rouge.
|
|
Negative
|
Noun + ne + verb + pas + adjective
|
Le livre n'est pas rouge.
|
|
Question
|
Est-ce que + Noun + est + adjective?
|
Est-ce que le livre est rouge?
|
|
Plural
|
Noun + s + Adjective + s
|
Les livres sont rouges.
|
|
Feminine
|
Noun + e + Adjective + e
|
La table est rouge.
|
|
Invariable
|
Noun + Adjective (no change)
|
La voiture est orange.
|
Formality Spectrum
Le film est très bon. (Discussing a movie)
Le film est très bon. (Discussing a movie)
Le film est super bon. (Discussing a movie)
Le film est mortel. (Discussing a movie)
Adjective Agreement Logic
Gender
- Masculin Masculine
- Féminin Feminine
Number
- Singulier Singular
- Pluriel Plural
Adjective Endings
Agreement Decision Tree
Is the noun feminine?
Is the noun plural?
Examples by Level
Le chat est petit.
The cat is small.
La maison est petite.
The house is small.
Les chats sont petits.
The cats are small.
Les maisons sont petites.
The houses are small.
Il est très heureux.
He is very happy.
Elle est très heureuse.
She is very happy.
C'est un film intéressant.
It's an interesting film.
C'est une histoire intéressante.
It's an interesting story.
C'est un beau garçon.
He is a handsome boy.
Elle a de beaux yeux.
She has beautiful eyes.
Ils sont tous fatigués.
They are all tired.
Elles sont toutes fatiguées.
They are all tired.
Ces fleurs sont orange.
These flowers are orange.
Des yeux bleu clair.
Light blue eyes.
Les dossiers sont prêts.
The files are ready.
La réunion est prête.
The meeting is ready.
Une décision hautement stratégique.
A highly strategic decision.
Des mesures prises rapidement.
Measures taken quickly.
Il semble assez mécontent.
He seems quite unhappy.
Elle paraît assez mécontente.
She seems quite unhappy.
Des nuances subtiles et variées.
Subtle and varied nuances.
Une attitude digne et réservée.
A dignified and reserved attitude.
Les faits sont avérés.
The facts are proven.
La situation demeure complexe.
The situation remains complex.
Easily Confused
Learners often use adjectives where adverbs are needed.
Learners mix up whether the adjective changes or moves.
Learners try to pluralize 'orange' or 'marron'.
Common Mistakes
Elle est petit.
Elle est petite.
Ils sont grand.
Ils sont grands.
La fille est grands.
La fille est grande.
Les garçons est petit.
Les garçons sont petits.
Elle est heureuse.
Elle est heureuse.
La voiture est bleu.
La voiture est bleue.
Des hommes sportives.
Des hommes sportifs.
Une maison très grand.
Une maison très grande.
Les fleurs sont orangees.
Les fleurs sont orange.
Ils sont fatigué.
Ils sont fatigués.
Des décisions hautement stratégiques.
Des décisions hautement stratégiques.
Les faits sont avéré.
Les faits sont avérés.
Une attitude digne.
Une attitude digne.
Sentence Patterns
Le/La ___ est ___.
Ils sont très ___.
C'est une ___ ___.
Les ___ sont ___.
Real World Usage
Une journée géniale!
Je suis fatigué.
Je suis très motivé.
La chambre est libre.
La pizza est chaude.
Les résultats sont probants.
Check the article
Watch for irregulars
The 'e' is your friend
Be precise
Smart Tips
Identify the article first (le/la/les).
If it ends in a consonant, just add 'e'.
Always add 's' unless it ends in 's' or 'x'.
Check if it's a noun-derived color (orange/marron).
Pronunciation
Silent endings
In French, the final consonant is often silent unless followed by an 'e'.
Liaison
When an adjective ends in a consonant and the next word starts with a vowel, you link them.
Declarative
Il est grand. ↘
Falling intonation for statements.
Interrogative
Est-il grand? ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the 'e' as a skirt for feminine nouns and the 's' as a crowd for plural nouns.
Visual Association
Imagine a masculine noun as a plain box. When it becomes feminine, you paint a pink 'e' on it. When it becomes plural, you stack multiple boxes with an 's' on top.
Rhyme
For feminine add an e, for plural add an s, it's as easy as can be, no need to stress!
Story
Pierre is a 'grand' (tall) boy. His sister Marie is 'grande' (tall). They are both 'grands' (tall) when they stand together. If they were two girls, they would be 'grandes'.
Word Web
Challenge
Describe five objects in your room using adjectives, ensuring you match the gender and number of each.
Cultural Notes
French speakers are very precise about agreement in formal writing and professional settings.
In Quebec, spoken French often drops final consonants, but agreement is still strictly maintained in writing.
In many West African French-speaking countries, agreement is used, but some regional variations exist in spoken registers.
French adjective agreement evolved from Latin, where adjectives had complex case, gender, and number endings.
Conversation Starters
Comment est ton appartement?
Comment est ton meilleur ami?
Quelles sont les qualités d'un bon professeur?
Comment décrirais-tu la ville idéale?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
La fille est ___ (grand).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Elle est très heureux.
les / sont / fleurs / rouges
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
sportif
Il est content.
Adjectives always change for gender.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesLa fille est ___ (grand).
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Elle est très heureux.
les / sont / fleurs / rouges
Match: 1. Le chat, 2. La chatte
sportif
Il est content.
Adjectives always change for gender.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesElles sont très ___.
They are happy.
bleue / est / La / voiture
Match these forms:
Mes chaussures sont nouveau.
The group is...
J'aime les pommes ___.
Select the invariable color:
A good idea.
Les petits chats sont
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
No, some like 'orange' or 'facile' do not change.
Use the masculine plural form.
The 'x' changes to 'se'.
No, agreement is required regardless of position.
Yes, irregular adjectives like 'beau' or 'nouveau'.
Look at the article (le/la) or memorize the noun.
Yes, the written rules are identical.
Yes, e.g., 'le petit'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Concordancia de género y número
Spanish is more consistent with -o/-a endings than French.
Adjektivdeklination
German agreement changes based on the noun's grammatical case.
None
Japanese has no concept of grammatical gender.
Tabaqiyya
Arabic agreement includes a 'definiteness' factor (definite vs indefinite).
None
Chinese lacks all inflectional morphology.
None
English has completely lost its inflectional agreement system.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Videos
Related Grammar Rules
French Adjectives: The BAGS Rule (Before the Noun)
Overview French grammar often presents interesting divergences from English, and adjective placement is a prime example....
French Comparatives: Better, Faster, More (Plus, Moins, Aussi)
Overview Comparing things is a core function of any language. It's how we express preferences, evaluate options, and des...
French Adverbs: The Double-M Rule (-amment, -emment)
Overview In French grammar, the formation of adverbs from adjectives is generally straightforward: you take the feminin...
French Adjectives That Change Meaning (Position Matters)
Overview French adjectives typically follow the noun they modify, providing objective details about physical characteri...
French Irregular Comparatives: Better & Best (Meilleur vs. Mieux)
Overview French, like many Romance languages, retains certain irregularities from its Latin roots, particularly in highl...
