Français I – Leçon 3A Structures

1. Français I – Leçon 3AStructures Descriptive adjectives & Possessive adjectives

2. Descriptive adjectives Adjectives describe people, places and things. In French, most adjectives agree in gender and number with the nouns or pronouns they modify. Examples: Le pèreestaméricain. La mèreestaméricaine. Les parents sontaméricains.

3. Adjectives of physical description bleu(e) vert(e) blond(e) brun(e) (dark hair) châtain (brown hair)

4. noir(e) marron blanc(he)

5. frisée court(e) raide

6. grand(e) petit(e) de taillemoyenne ( someone or something of medium size.) joli(e) = prettyjeune = young

7. Some adjectives are irregular. They change spelling depending on the gender and number of the noun they modify. beau belle beaux belles beautiful; handsome

8. Other irregular adjectives: good; kind bonnes bonne bon bons fier fière fiers fières proud gros grosses gros grosse fat heureuses heureux heureuse heureux happy

9. intellectuel intellectuelle intellectual intellectuels intellectuelles longues longue long longs long naïve naïves naïve naïf naïfs rousse roux red-haired rousses roux old vieux vielle vielles vieux

10. new nouvelle nouveaux nouvelles nouveau curieuses curieux curieuse curieux curious unhappy malheureux malheureuse malheureuses malheureux nerveux nerveuse nerveux nerveuses nervous séreuse serious séreux sérieux séreuses

11. Position of adjectives • In French, adjectives areusuallyplaced after the noun they modify. • Example: Il estun garçonintelligent. (noun) (adj.)

12. The following adjectives are placed before the noun they modify: beau, bon, grand, gros, jeune, joli, long, nouveau, petit, andvieux. • Example: J’aimebien les grandesfamilles. (adj.) (noun)

13. Possessive adjectives In English and in French, possessive adjectives express ownership or possession.

14. Possessive adjectives MasculineFeminine singularsingularplural monmamesmy ton tatesyour (fam./sing.) sonsaseshis, her, its notrenotrenos our votrevotrevosyour (form./pl.) leurleurleurs their

15. In French, possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. monpèremamère (my father) (my mother) mesparents (my parents)

16. Possessive adjectives are always placed before the nouns they modify. C’esttonpère? (Is that your father?) Non, c’estmononcle. (No, that’s my uncle.)

17. *Note – use mon, ton, or son before feminine singular nouns that start with a vowel sound. • monamie (my friend) • ton étudiante (your student) • son yaourt (his yogurt)

18. *Remember - The choice of possessive adjective depends on the gender and number of the noun possessed, not the gender and number of the owner.

19. Possession with de • In English, you use ‘s to express relationships or ownership. In French, use de (d’) + [the noun or proper name] instead. C’est le petit amid’Annie. (That’s Annie’s boyfriend.) C’estle petit amide ma sœur. (That’s the boyfriend of my sister.)