🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

What is French Adjective Agreement?

In French, adjectives must 'agree' with the noun they describe — changing form to match the noun's gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). This agreement is a core grammar rule: 'un garçon heureux' (happy boy, masculine) becomes 'une fille heureuse' (happy girl, feminine).

Short answer

Adjective agreement means French adjectives change their ending to match the noun's gender and number — feminine adds -e, plural adds -s.

Adjective Forms by Gender and Number

x: Noun Type · y: Example: bleu (blue)

Step-by-step worked examples

Form 'a happy girl' (feminine singular) and 'happy girls' (feminine plural).

Base adjective: heureux (masculine singular)
Feminine singular: heureuse (add -e)
Feminine plural: heureuses (add -es, feminine + plural)
Phrases: une fille heureuse / des filles heureuses

Make 'un petit garçon' (a small boy) into the feminine plural form.

Masculine singular: petit
Feminine singular: petite (add -e)
Feminine plural: petites (add -s)
Result: des petites filles

How does 'blanc' (white) agree in 'three white houses'?

Base: blanc (masculine singular)
Feminine: blanche (spelling change, + -e)
Plural of feminine: blanches
Result: trois maisons blanches (houses are feminine)

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Make 'rouge' (red) feminine singular:

Correct answer: C. Most French adjectives ending in -e stay the same in feminine: rouge = rouge (masculine and feminine).

Q2.What is 'heureux' in feminine plural?

Correct answer: C. heureux (masc. sing.) → heureuse (fem. sing.) → heureuses (fem. plural: add -e, then -s).

Q3.Agree 'petit' with 'garçons' (boys, plural masculine):

Correct answer: B. Garçons is masculine plural, so: petit (masc. sing.) → petits (add -s).

Q4.Choose the correct form: 'deux filles ___ ' (two happy girls):

Correct answer: C. Filles (girls) = feminine plural → heureuses (heureux + -e for fem. + -s for plural).

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Common mistakes

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Forgetting that adjectives must agree with the noun's gender. — Correct: Every French adjective must change to match the noun: un beau garçon / une belle fille.

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Using the masculine form with a feminine noun: 'une fille heureux'. — Correct: Say 'une fille heureuse' (adjective agrees with feminine noun).

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Thinking all adjectives add -e for feminine. — Correct: Most do, but some have spelling changes or already end in -e (rouge = rouge in all genders).

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Not adding -s for plural adjectives: 'deux garçons petit'. — Correct: Say 'deux garçons petits' (adjective agrees with plural: petit → petits).

FAQ

What is French adjective agreement?

Adjectives change form to match the noun's gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural): bleu, bleue, bleus, bleues.

How do I know the correct adjective form?

Identify the noun's gender (look for le/la or un/une) and number (singular/plural), then add -e for feminine and/or -s for plural.

Do adjectives always add -e and -s?

Most do, but some adjectives have spelling changes or already end in -e in all forms (e.g., rouge).

Example of complete adjective agreement?

Petit: un petit garçon (a small boy), une petite fille (a small girl), deux petits garçons (two small boys), deux petites filles (two small girls).