The 6 secrets of the French adjectives

THE 6 SECRETS OF THE FRENCH ADJECTIVES

So, have you ever been challenged by the French adjectives?

Not knowing where to put them, what they mean if they have a different position than “normal”, it’s a whole new jungle to deal with, isn’t it?

Luckily, these 6 secrets of the French adjectives are little tricks that, once you know, you’ll be able to explain to a 4 year old who prepares to go in a French immersion kindergarten 🙂

Read the article below to understand the French adjectives and watch the video for some great French worth putting up with.

(This week: verb METTRE – to put)

Secret #1

First, in English, we generally place the adjectives before the noun: “big house”, “beautiful flower”.

In French, the norm is the adjective that follows the noun: “une voiture rouge” (a red car).

Secret #2

There are a number of basic adjectives, that go before the noun:
– beau / belle
– bon / bonne
– etc.

Example: “Une belle maison”

Secret #3

‘Emphatic’ or ‘superlative’ meaning tend to go before the noun:
– affreux / affreuse
– excellent / excellente
– etc.

Example: “Un excellent professeur”

Secret #4

‘Functional’ adjectives go before the noun:
– autre
– plusieurs
– etc.

Example: “Plusieurs enfants”

Secret #5

Adjectives that have a different meaning before and after the noun:
– propre: “ma propre voiture” (my own car); “ma voiture propre” (my clean car)
– seul: “une seule fille” (only one girl); “une fille seule” (a lonely girl)
– etc.

Secret #6

There are a few types of adjectives that tend never to be used before the noun:
– colors
– shapes
– etc.

Example: “Une voiture rouge”

Want the full list?
Register for our programs in order to get the full list of adjectives in each of these categories, and the infamous exceptions.

Café sitting

Café sitting is the great Parisian sport. But there is a bit of technique involved:
1. Choose a café that talks to you
2. Remain faithful to it. Café fidelity is important.
3. Base your choice on essential criteria: people watching, comfy seats, sunny side of the st. If waiters are aloof the first day, no biggie. If still aloof by the third, move on.
4. Master the technique of nursing your café espresso for min. one hour!!
Et voilà you’re Parisian!

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN!
Write in the comments below and tell us what is your strategy that you use in order to properly use your adjectives?

Let me guess.

Do you constantly have the feeling that you can’t hear what the French say and you don’t know how to read all the French words because they are written so much differently than they sound?

Learn 3 secrets that will help you be self sufficient in the way you pronounce French words – even if you don’t know what they mean – so that you can read that sophisticated menu in your favorite French restaurant.