Do French adjectives confuse you?
Don’t worry,you’re not alone!
In English, adjectives never change:
one small cat, two small cats.
But in French, adjectives agree with the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- what an adjective is,
- how to form masculine and feminine adjectives,
- how to make them plural,
- and how to use them in real French sentences.
What Is an Adjective?
An adjective is a word that describes a noun: it tells us what something or someone is like.
It can describe color, size, shape, emotion, or personality.
Examples:
- un petit chien → a small dog
- une grande maison → a big house
- un homme content → a happy man
- une fille contente → a happy girl
So, adjectives help you add detail and emotion to your French.
Step 1: Masculine and Feminine Forms
In French, nouns (and therefore adjectives) are either masculine or feminine.
Usually:
- the masculine form is the basic one (the one you find in the dictionary),
- and the feminine form is made by adding -e.
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
| petit | petite | small |
| grand | grande | tall, big |
| français | française | French |
| fatigué | fatiguée | tired |
💡 If the masculine adjective already ends in -e, nothing changes:
un homme triste (a sad man) → une femme triste (a sad woman)
Step 2: Singular and Plural Forms
French adjectives also change for plural nouns.
To make an adjective plural, add -s for most words.
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| petit | petits | small (masculine) |
| petite | petites | small (feminine) |
⚠️ If the adjective already ends in -s or -x, it doesn’t change:
un garçon heureux → des garçons heureux
un chat gris → des chats gris
Step 3: Combine Gender and Number
Now, you just combine both ideas: gender and plural:
| Masculine | Feminine | Masculine plural | Feminine plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| petit | petite | petits | petites | small |
| fatigué | fatiguée | fatigués | fatiguées | tired |
Step 4: Practice with Examples
Let’s look at how adjectives change in full sentences:
Regular adjective — “petit / petite” (small):
- Masculine singular → Un petit chien. → A small dog.
- Feminine singular → Une petite maison. → A small house.
- Masculine plural → Des petits chiens. → Small dogs.
- Feminine plural → Des petites maisons. → Small houses.
🗣️ Pronunciation tip:
In petit, the final t is silent → /pə.ti/
In petite, the t is pronounced → /pə.tit/
French adds the -e in writing and in sound!
Regular adjective — “fatigué / fatiguée” (tired):
- Masculine singular → Un homme fatigué. → A tired man.
- Feminine singular → Une femme fatiguée. → A tired woman.
- Masculine plural → Des hommes fatigués. → Tired men.
- Feminine plural → Des femmes fatiguées. → Tired women.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Forgetting to make the adjective agree with the noun.
une petit fille → should be ”une petitE fille” ✅ (the adjective must agree)
❌ Using masculine adjectives for feminine nouns.
une homme contente → should be un homme contenT ✅
✅ Always check: gender + plural!
Final Tips
- Always learn the masculine and feminine forms together.
- When you learn a new adjective, note a masculine and feminine example sentence.
- Listen carefully when French people speak — you’ll start to “feel” what sounds right.
Quiz
Ready to practise?
Choose the correct form of the adjective to complete each sentence 👇
Great Job!
You did it! You now know how to make French adjectives agree with masculine, feminine, and plural nouns.
