In this grammar lesson you will learn how to form irregular adjectives in French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how to form irregular adjectives in French
- how irregular adjectives are used in French sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on irregular adjectives in French
- how to practice with flashcards on irregular adjectives in French
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French A2 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about how this fits in the overall structure of French A2.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about how to form irregular adjectives in French!
Table of Contents
Overview of Feminine Endings
| Masculine | Feminine |
| -c | -che/-que |
| -f | -ve |
| -x | -se |
Adjectives that end with -c become -che
Adjectives that end in -c change in the following ways:
- If the -c is mute in the masculine form, then the -c will turn into -che
Mon grand-père a un chapeau blanc et une barbe blanche.
My grandfather has a white hat and a white beard.
Il n’a pas été franc avec Paul, alors elle a dû être franche avec Paul.
He was not frank with Paul, so she had to be frank with Paul.
- If the -c is audible in the masculine form, then the -c will turn into a -que.
Il y a un jardin public, mais il n’y a pas de plage publique.
There is a public garden, but there’s not a public beach.
Mustafa est un homme turc. Elif est une femme turque.
Mustafa is a Turkish man. Elif is a Turkish woman.
There is an exception for grec, as it keeps the -c and also adds the –que.
Le plat grec est préparé par une femme grecque.
The Greek dish is made by a Greek woman.
There is also an exception for sec, as you hear the -c in the masculine form, but it becomes sèche.
Mon pull est sec, mais ma robe n’est pas sèche.
My jumper is dry, but my dress is not dry.
Adjectives that end with -f become -ve
Adjectives that end in -f become -ve in the feminine form.
Paul est actif mais Stella n’est pas active.
Paul is active but Stella is not active.
Il est agressif, mais elle n’est pas agressive.
He is aggresive but she is not aggresive.
Jean est créatif et Stella est créative aussi.
Jean is creative and Stella is creative too.
Mon oncle est juif et ma tante est juive aussi.
My uncle is jewish and my aunt is jewish too.
J’ai un vélo neuf et une voiture neuve.
I have a brand-new bicycle and a brand-new car.
Please note that bref has a grave accent in the feminine.
Le film est bref, mais la chanson n’est pas brève.
The film is short, but the song is not short.
Adjectives that end with -x become -se
Adjectives that end in -x become -se in the feminine form.
Il est toujours heureux, mais elle n’est jamais heureuse.
He is always happy, but she is never happy.
Jean est jaloux, mais Clara n’est pas jalouse du tout.
Jean is jealous, but Clara is not jealous at all.
L’homme nerveux est avec la femme nerveuse.
The nervous man is with the nervous woman.
L’homme sérieux veut une femme sérieuse.
The serious man wants a serious woman.
There are two exception to the rule: doux and roux. They become douce and rousse.
Le miel est doux, mais la pomme n’est pas douce.
The honey is sweet, but the apple is not sweet.
Son père est roux et sa mère est rousse.
His father has red hair and his mother has red hair.
Finally there’s one more strange case. Faux becomes fausse in the feminine.
Le diamant est faux, mais l’émeraude n’est pas fausse.
The diamond is fake, but the emerald is not fake.
Sentences Overview of Irregular Adjectives in French
The final section of this lesson on irregular adjectives in French is about seeing the adjectives in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on irregular adjectives in French through examples.
Here you can find all of the sentences used in the previous chapters, neatly organised in one place.
Mon grand-père a un chapeau blanc et une barbe blanche.
My grandfather has a white hat and a white beard.
Il n’a pas été franc avec Paul, alors elle a dû être franche avec Paul.
He was not frank with Paul, so she had to be frank with Paul.
Il y a un jardin public, mais il n’y a pas de plage publique.
There is a public garden, but there’s not a public beach.
Mustafa est un homme turc. Elif est une femme turque.
Mustafa is a Turkish man. Elif is a Turkish woman.
Le plat grec est préparé par une femme grecque.
The Greek dish is made by a Greek woman.
Mon pull est sec, mais ma robe n’est pas sèche.
My jumper is dry, but my dress is not dry.
Paul est actif mais Stella n’est pas active.
Paul is active but Stella is not active.
Il est agressif, mais elle n’est pas agressive.
He is aggresive but she is not aggresive.
Jean est créatif et Stella est créative aussi.
Jean is creative and Stella is creative too.
Mon oncle est juif et ma tante est juive aussi.
My uncle is jewish and my aunt is jewish too.
J’ai un vélo neuf et une voiture neuve.
I have a brand-new bicycle and a brand-new car.
Le film est bref, mais la chanson n’est pas brève.
The film is short, but the song is not short.
Il est toujours heureux, mais elle n’est jamais heureuse.
He is always happy, but she is never happy.
Jean est jaloux, mais Clara n’est pas jalouse du tout.
Jean is jealous, but Clara is not jealous at all.
L’homme nerveux est avec la femme nerveuse.
The nervous man is with the nervous woman.
L’homme sérieux veut une femme sérieuse.
The serious man wants a serious woman.
Le miel est doux, mais la pomme n’est pas douce.
The honey is sweet, but the apple is not sweet.
Son père est roux et sa mère est rousse.
His father has red hair and his mother has red hair.
Le diamant est faux, mais l’émeraude n’est pas fausse.
The diamond is fake, but the emerald is not fake.
Quiz Yourself on Irregular Adjectives in French
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
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, you can get our French A2 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 3,816 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French A2.
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
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?
I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.
It never really seemed to work for me.
I wanted to learn a language in the most effective and efficient way, and there was nothing out there for me.
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.
However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.
These courses are easy to follow, clear, and allow you to become fluent in the most effective and efficient way.
The courses of Language Atlas have:
- 800+ Lessons with audio
- 800+ Quizzes
- 10,000 Flashcards with explanations, images, and audio
- A gamified way of learning a new language
- A vibrant community (including support from me)
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).
All you have to do is study 30 minutes a day and you will be fluent in no time!
Don’t miss out – register for free and start learning!
