French grammar
French adjective agreement and position: grand, petit, bon
A French adjective changes to match its noun. The feminine adds -e, and that -e often wakes a silent consonant: grand is grahn, grande is grahnd. Most adjectives follow the noun, but a short set (beauty, age, number, goodness, size, remembered as BANGS) goes in front: un grand chat, une petite maison. After est the agreement still holds: la maison est petite.
In short
- Add -e for the feminine. It often wakes a silent consonant: grand / grande, petit / petite, ouvert / ouverte.
- bon doubles the n: bon / bonne. Some pairs sound identical: fermé / fermée.
- Most adjectives follow the noun, but beauty, age, number, goodness and size (BANGS) go before it: un grand chat, une petite maison, un bon café.
- After est the adjective still agrees: Mon frère est très grand. La maison est petite.
- The plural adds -s, which is silent: les grandes maisons.
The letter that wakes up, again
«grand» — big, tall (grahn, the d asleep). Add -e and it wakes: «grande» (grahnd). You've heard this trick since «étudiante» — now it works on ANYTHING: «un grand chat», «une grande maison». The adjective dresses to match its noun's side.
Un grand chat
a big cat
Une grande maison
a big house
Elle est grande
She is tall.
Une grande ville
a big city
Il est grand
He is tall.
Small, and younger
«petit» — small (puh-TEE), «petite» — puh-TEET, the -e waking the t this time. On family it warms up: «ma petite sœur» — my little sister, «mon grand frère» — my big brother. Size words, worn like nicknames.
Ma petite sœur
my little sister
Mon petit chat
my little cat
Elle est petite
She is small.
Mon grand frère
my big brother
Very — and the verb steps in
«très» — very (treh). And adjectives can follow «est»: «Mon frère est très grand» — my brother is very tall. «La maison est petite» — the house is small. Wherever the adjective stands, the agreement never lets go.
Mon frère est très grand
my brother is very tall
La maison est petite
the house is small
La ville est très grande
The city is very big.
Tu vas où ?
Where are you going?
The half you always knew
«bon» has been yours since «bonjour» — meet its -e: «bonne», the one you've worn in «bonne nuit» all along. On food it means delicious: «Le gâteau est très bon», «La pizza est très bonne». Say it to a cook and watch their day improve.
La pizza est très bonne
the pizza is very good
Le gâteau est très bon
the cake is very good
La salade est très bonne
the salad is very good
The same trick, a new letter
«grand» becomes «grande» and the d wakes up. «ouvert» works the same way: «ouvert» (oo-VEHR, t asleep) becomes «ouverte» (oo-VEHRT, t awake). Same rule, a different sleeping letter.
Le café est ouvert
the café is open
L'école est ouverte.
the school is open
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Keep going
- Grammar guideLe vs laHow French noun gender works: when to use le, la, un, une and l', why meaning does not decide it, and how to learn the gender with the word.
- Grammar guideFrench liaison and silent lettersWhich French letters are silent, which final consonants are heard, how a final -e wakes a consonant, and when liaison adds a sound between words.
- Word listAdjectives for beginnersThe first French adjectives with both forms: grand/grande, petit/petite, bon/bonne, ouvert/ouverte, fermé/fermée, plus très and bien, with audio.
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