How French works
Unlike in English where adjectives come before the noun (as in a red hat), in French adjectives generally come after the noun (as in un chapeau rouge). Adjectives can also be linked to a noun by a verb like être, as in Le chapeau est rouge (The hat is red).
A number of commonly used adjectives are usually placed before the noun :
| French | English |
|---|---|
| autre | other |
| double | double |
| beau | beautiful |
| excellent | excellent |
| bon | good |
| grand | big, tall |
| chaque | each |
| gros | fat |
| court | short |
| haut | high |
| demi | half |
| jeune | young |
| joli | pretty |
| petit | small |
| long | long |
| plusieurs | several |
| mauvais | bad |
| prochain | next |
| méchant | bad |
| quelque | some |
| meilleur | better |
| tel | such |
| nouveau | new |
| vieux | old |
Elle nous a préparé un excellent repas
She made us an excellent meal
Paul, c'est un très bon étudiant
Paul is a very good student
Après le dîner il nous a raconté une longue histoire
After dinner he told us a long story
Some adjectives have a different meaning according to whether they are placed before or after the noun :
| adjective | before noun | after noun |
|---|---|---|
| ancien | l’ancien président | une église ancienne |
| the former president | an old church | |
| cher | un cher ami | une montre chère |
| a dear friend | an expensive watch | |
| pur | une pure coïncidence | de l’or pur |
| a pure coincidence | pure gold | |
| drôle | une histoire drôle | un drôle d’air |
| a funny story | a strange expression | |
| gros | un gros problème | a major problem |
| un homme gros | a fat man | |
| grand | un grand artiste | un homme grand |
| a great artist | a tall man | |
| propre | sa propre voiture | une maison propre |
| his own car | a clean house | |
| vrai | un vrai problème | une histoire vraie |
| a serious problem | a true story |