In this grammar lesson, you will learn about the 3 types of adjectives that go before nouns in French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- adjectives in French
- short and typical adjectives that go before nouns in French
- adjectives that qualify a proper noun
- numerical adjectives
- how adjectives are used in French sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on adjectives that go before nouns in French
- how to practice with flashcards for adjectives that go before nouns in French
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about this fits in French A1.
By the end of the lesson, you will know all about how adjectives that go before nouns in French!
Table of Contents
Introduction to Adjectives
In French, most adjectives go after the noun.
So, all you need to know, are the adjectives that go before a noun.
If you know what goes before a noun, then you automatically know that everything else will be after the noun.
In this lesson you will learn the the 3 types of adjectives that go before nouns in French!
Short and Typical Adjectives that go Before Nouns
Most adjectives that have 2 or fewer syllabes go before the noun.
Here is a list of the most useful adjectives that go before nouns in French.
| Masculine/Feminine Forms | Translation |
| beau / belle | beautiful / handsome |
| bon / bonne | good |
| bref / brève | brief, short |
| grand / grande | big, tall |
| gros / grosse | big, fat |
| haut / haute | high |
| joli / jolie | pretty |
| mauvais / mauvaise | bad |
| nouveau / nouvelle | new |
| petit / petite | small, little |
| vilain / vilaine | ugly, nasty / naughty |
Le beau prince.
The handsome prince.
Le grand homme.
The big man.
Le jeune président.
The young president.
The jolie fille.
The pretty girl.
La nouvelle maison.
The new house.
Adjectives that Qualify a Proper Noun
A proper noun is a noun that starts with a capital letter.
In French, adjectives go before a proper noun.
Le rusé Jack Sparrow.
The cunning Jack Sparrow.
Le puissant Arès.
The powerful Ares.
L’intelligente Minerve.
The intelligent Minerva.
Numerical Adjectives
When numbers are used as adjectives, they go before the noun.
Ma première fois.
My first time.
Ma deuxième tentative.
My second attempt.
Un triple tour.
A triple spin.
Example Sentences with Adjectives that go Before Nouns in French
The final section of this lesson on adjectives that go before nouns in French is about seeing the adjectives and nouns in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on adjectives that go before nouns in French through examples.
Le beau prince.
The handsome prince.
Le grand homme.
The big man.
Le jeune président.
The young president.
The jolie fille.
The pretty girl.
Le mauvais choix.
The bad choice.
La nouvelle maison.
The new house.
Le rusé Jack Sparrow.
The cunning Jack Sparrow.
Le puissant Arès.
The powerful Ares.
L’intelligente Minerve.
The intelligent Minerva.
Ma première fois.
My first time.
Ma deuxième tentative.
My second attempt.
Un triple tour.
A triple spin.
Quiz Yourself on Adjectives that go Before Nouns in French
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter. It is up to you to give the correct answer.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want.
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information on flashcards and the best way to learn a new language.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki for free, you can get our French A1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,764 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
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So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.
Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.
I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.
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The courses of Language Atlas have:
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You can register for free and try the French A0/A1 and Spanish A0/A1 Courses for free!
This includes over 60 lessons and quizzes, 500 flashcards that adapt to how you learn, and access to the community (including support from me).
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