Lesson 1.4: Plural Nouns and Adjective Agreement

Plural nouns

Now let’s learn how to form plural nouns! Most of the time, a French plural noun is formed by adding -s to the end of a singular noun, just like in English.

Example: voiture becomes voitures (cars) Example: chien becomes chiens (dogs)

English nouns take -es instead of -s if that makes them easier to say, but that doesn’t happen in French.

Example: sandwich becomes sandwichs (sandwiches)

Depending on how the noun ends, it might follow a different pattern to become plural. Here are the three other patterns:

ends in -s, -x, or -z: no change
ends in vowel(s) + u: add -x
ends in -al: replace -al with -aux

Example: bus becomes bus (buses) Example: tableau becomes tableaux (paintings) Example: cheval becomes chevaux (horses)

Some nouns have irregular plural forms, but they aren’t that common.

Example: œil becomes yeux (eyes) Example: pneu becomes pneus (tires)

Adjective placement: after the noun

Before we start talking about adjectives, it’s important to note that, unlike in English, French adjectives usually come after the noun they modify, not before.

Example: une voiture rouge (a red car; rouge is the adjective) Example: un repas délicieux (a delicious meal; délicieux is the adjective)

Adjective agreement

You might remember from Lesson 1.2 that adjectives can change their form depending on the gender of the noun they modify. That’s called adjective agreement, and it happens based on two factors: gender and number.

Let’s make a table for all the possibilities like we did for conjugation:

Masculine singular (m/s)	Feminine singular (f/s)
Masculine plural (m/p)	Feminine plural (f/p)

Now, to decline most adjectives (to convert them to the right form for a noun), just add these endings:

m/s: [nothing]	f/s: -e
m/p: -s	f/p: -es

Example: vert (green)

m/s: vert	f/s: verte
m/p: verts	f/p: vertes

m/s: un camion vert (a green truck)
f/s: une pomme verte (a green apple)
m/p: des gants verts (green gloves)
f/p: des plantes vertes (green plants)

A lot easier than conjugation, right?

Most adjectives follow that pattern, but if an adjective ends in one of the special endings for nouns (-vowel(s) + u or -al), it will follow a different pattern. Here's the pattern for -vowel(s) + u:

m/s: [no change]	f/s: replace ending with -elle
m/p: + x	f/p: replace ending with -elles

Example: beau (beautiful)

m/s: beau	f/s: belle
m/p: beaux	f/p: belles

And for -al:

m/s: [no change]	f/s: + e
m/p: replace -al with -aux	f/p: + es

Example: social (social)

m/s: social	f/s: sociale
m/p: sociaux	f/p: sociales

When not to add -e and -s

In French, you’ll never see two unaccented E’s in a row. It just doesn’t happen. That means that you shouldn’t add -e to adjectives that already end with an unaccented E.

Example: rouge (red)

m/s: rouge	f/s: rouge
m/p: rouges	f/p: rouges

But still add -e to adjectives that end in é with an accent.

Example: brûlé (burnt)

m/s: brûlé	f/s: brûlée
m/p: brûlés	f/p: brûlées

Also, if an adjective ends in s, x, or z, don't add -s to the m/s form. (Example below: anxieux)

Consonants that change

Finally, there are a few ending consonants that often change when you add -e or -es. It’s not strictly necessary to memorize them, but it’ll help you later on to know that:

c becomes ch
f becomes v
g becomes gu
l becomes ll
x becomes s

Example: blanc (white)

m/s: blanc	f/s: blanche
m/p: blancs	f/p: blanches

Example: vif (vivid; bright)

m/s: vif	f/s: vive
m/p: vifs	f/p: vives

Example: long (long)

m/s: long	f/s: longue
m/p: longs	f/p: longues

Example: gentil (nice)

m/s: gentil	f/s: gentille
m/p: gentils	f/p: gentilles

Example: anxieux (anxious)

m/s: anxieux	f/s: anxieuse
m/p: anxieux	f/p: anxieuses

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