French adjectives help you describe people, objects, places, plans, feelings, and opinions. To use them well, pay attention to meaning, position, and agreement with the noun.
Opinions and general descriptions
Use these adjectives when you talk about classes, books, plans, shopping, food, and everyday situations.
- – Good
- – Bad
- – Beautiful/nice
- – Ugly
- – Easy
- – Difficult
- – Important
- – Interesting
- Utile – Useful
- Correct – Correct
- Faux – Wrong/false
- Ennuyeux – Boring
Examples:
- Ce livre est intéressant, mais un peu difficile. (This book is interesting, but a little difficult.)
- C'est une bonne idée. (It is a good idea.)
- Le film est beau, mais l'histoire est ennuyeuse. (The movie is beautiful, but the story is boring.)
Size, shape, and dimensions
Use these adjectives to describe rooms, streets, clothes, buildings, objects, and spaces.
- – Big/tall
- – Small
- – Long
- – Short
- Haut – High/tall
- Bas – Low
- Large – Wide
- Étroit – Narrow
- Lourd – Heavy
- Léger – Light
Examples:
- J'ai besoin d'une petite table pour ma chambre. (I need a small table for my room.)
- Cette rue est étroite, mais l'avenue est large. (This street is narrow, but the avenue is wide.)
- La valise est lourde, mais le sac est léger. (The suitcase is heavy, but the bag is light.)
Condition and everyday use
These adjectives help you talk about places, objects, food, transport, and things you use every day.
- – New
- – Old
- – Clean
- – Dirty
- – Full
- – Empty
- Ouvert – Open
- Fermé – Closed
- Sûr – Safe
- Confortable – Comfortable
- Bon marché – Cheap/inexpensive
Examples:
- La chambre est propre et vide. (The room is clean and empty.)
- Le restaurant est fermé aujourd'hui. (The restaurant is closed today.)
- C'est un endroit sûr et confortable. (It is a safe and comfortable place.)
Temperature, speed, and strength
This group helps you describe weather, drinks, transport, objects, and performance.
- – Hot
- – Cold
- – Fast
- – Slow
- Fort – Strong
- Faible – Weak
- Clair – Clear/light
- Sombre – Dark
Examples:
- Le café est chaud. (The coffee is hot.)
- Le train est rapide le matin. (The train is fast in the morning.)
- La lumière est faible dans cette pièce. (The light is weak in this room.)
People, feelings, and personality
Use these adjectives to describe how someone feels or what someone is like in a simple situation.
- – Happy
- – Sad
- – Tired
- – Busy
- – Ready
- – Kind
- – Calm
- – Funny/fun
- Jeune – Young
- Âgé – Elderly/older
- Nerveux – Nervous
- Malade – Sick
- Inquiet – Worried
- Content – Pleased/happy
- Sympa – Nice/likeable
Examples:
- Je suis fatigué après le travail. (I am tired after work.)
- Elle est gentille avec tout le monde. (She is kind to everyone.)
- Mon amie est inquiète pour l'examen. (My friend is worried about the exam.)
Where the adjective goes in French
In French, many adjectives go after the noun when they describe a concrete characteristic.
- Une chambre propre – A clean room
- Un livre intéressant – An interesting book
- Un train rapide – A fast train
Some very common adjectives usually go before the noun, especially adjectives of size, age, beauty, or opinion.
- Un bon restaurant – A good restaurant
- Une petite table – A small table
- Un nouveau sac – A new bag
Note: Before a masculine noun that starts with a vowel or silent h, beau, nouveau, and vieux change form: bel ami (a handsome friend), nouvel appartement (a new apartment), vieil homme (an old man).
How French adjectives change
French adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number. Many forms are visible in writing even when you do not hear every ending clearly.
- Petit – Small, masculine singular
- Petite – Small, feminine singular
- Petits – Small, masculine plural
- Petites – Small, feminine plural
Adjectives that already end in -e, like facile, calme, and propre, do not change in feminine singular. They add -s in the plural.
- Un exercice facile – An easy exercise
- Une question facile – An easy question
- Des exercices faciles – Easy exercises
Some irregular forms are very common and are worth learning as pairs.
- Beau – Beautiful/nice, masculine singular
- Belle – Beautiful/nice, feminine singular
- Beaux – Beautiful/nice, masculine plural
- Belles – Beautiful/nice, feminine plural
Common mistakes
Putting every adjective after the noun
Many adjectives go after the noun, but bon, petit, grand, beau, nouveau, and vieux often go before it.
- Une petite table – A small table
- Une table petite – Unnatural for a basic phrase
Forgetting the feminine form
If the noun is feminine, the adjective usually needs a feminine form.
- Une fille fatiguée – A tired girl
- Une fille fatigué – Incorrect form
Using beau, nouveau, or vieux before a vowel without changing the form
Before a vowel or silent h, use bel, nouvel, and vieil.
- Un bel appartement – A beautiful apartment
- Un beau appartement – Incorrect form
- Un nouvel ami – A new friend
- Un nouveau ami – Incorrect form
Confusing sympa and gentil
Sympa describes a generally nice or likeable personality. Gentil describes kind or considerate behavior.
- Il est très sympa avec tout le monde – He is very likeable with everyone
- Elle a été gentille de m'aider – She was kind to help me
Choose five real things around your home, work, or city and describe them in French: une chambre propre, un livre intéressant, un nouveau sac, un billet bon marché, and un endroit sûr. This helps you practice vocabulary, position, and agreement at the same time.