Some adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, there is a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –eau have a feminine form –elle.
MASCULINE = –EAU
FEMININE = –ELLE
- **beau **(m.) (s.)
- beaux (m.) (pl.)
- belle (f.) (s.)
- belles (f.) (pl.)
- nouveau (m.) (s.)
- nouveoux (m.) (pl.)
- nouvelle (f.) (s.)
- **nouvelles **(f.) (pl.)
Some adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, there is a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –er have a feminine form –ère.
MASCULINE = –er
FEMININE = –ère
- étranger (m.) (s.)
- étrangers (m.) (pl.)
- étrangère (f.) (s.)
- étrangères (f.) (pl.)
Some adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, there is a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –ier have a feminine form* –ière*.
MASCULINE = –ier
FEMININE = –ière
- **fier **(m.) (s.)
- fiers (m.) (pl.)
- fière (f.) (s.)
- fières (f.) (pl.)
These adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, you can see a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –eux have a feminine form in –euse.
MASCULINE = –eux
FEMININE = –euse
- courageux (m.) (s.) (pl.)
- courageuse (f.) (s.)
- courageuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- curieux (m.) (s.) (pl.)
- curieuse (f.) (s.)
- curieuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- ennuyeux (m.) (s.) (pl.)
- ennuyeuse (f.) (s.)
- ennuyeuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- généreux (m.) (s.)
- généreuse (f.) (s.)
- généreuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- heureux (m.) (s.)
- heureuse (f.) (s.)
- heureuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- malheureux (m.) (s.)
- malheureuse (f.) (s.)
- malheureuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- nerveux (m.) (s.)
- nerveuse (f.) (s.)
- nerveuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- paresseux (m.) (s.)
- paresseuse (f.) (s.)
- parasseuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
- sérieux (m.) (s.)
- sérieuse (f.) (s.)
- sérieuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
* Notice how the masculine plural adjectives are the same as the feminine plural adjectives.*
These adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, you can see a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –el have a feminine form of –elle.
MASCULINE = –el
FEMININE = –elle
- cruel (m.) (s.)
- cruels (m.) (pl.)
- cruelle (f.) (s.)
- cruelles (f.) (pl.)
Ex. Paul est cruel.
Ex. S**ophie est cruelle.
Ex. Ils sont cruels.
Ex. Elles sont cruelles.
- intellectuel (m.) (s.)
- intellectuels (m.) (pl.)
- intellectuelle (f.) (s.)
- intellectuelles (f.) (pl.)
Ex. *C’est un étudiant intellectuel. *
Ex. *C’est une étudiante intellectuelle. *
Ex. *Ce sont des étudiants intellectuels. *
Ex. Ce sont des étudiantes intellectuelles.
These adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, you can see a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –if have a feminine form in –ive.
MASCULINE = –if
FEMININE = –ive
- actif (m.) (s.)
- actifs (m.) (pl.)
- active (f.) (s.)
- actives (f.) (pl.)
- naïf (m.) (s.)
- naïfs (m.) (pl.)
- naïve (f.) (s.)
- naïves (f.) (pl.)
- sportif (m.) (s.)
- sportifs (m.) (pl.)
- sportive (f.) (s.)
- sportives (f.) (pl.)
These adjectives have irregular endings, but within these irregular forms, you can see a pattern.
Adjectives ending in –eur have a feminine form in –euse.
MASCULINE = –eur
FEMININE = –euse
- travailleur (m.) (s.)
- travailleurs (m.) (pl.)
- travailleuse (f.) (s.)
- travailleuses (f.) (pl.)
beautiful / handsome
- **beau **(m.) (s.)
- **beaux **(m.) (pl.)
- belle (f.) (s.)
- belles (f.) (pl.)
Beau/beaux are both pronounced:
“bouh”
Belle/belles are both pronounced:
“bell”
new
- nouveau (m.) (s.)
- nouveaux (m.) (pl.)
- nouvelle (f.) (s.)
- nouvelles (f.) (pl.)
Nouveau/nouveaux are both pronounced:
“nu-voh”
Nouvelle/nouvelles are both pronounced:
“nu-vehll”
foreign
- étranger (m.) (s.)
- étrangers (m.) (pl.)
- étrangère (f.) (s.)
- étrangères (f.) (pl.)
* Note that accent aigu é (“ey”) and accent grave è (“eh”) are both in this adjective. Know the difference! *
Étranger/étrangers are both pronounced:
“ey-trohng-zsey”
Étrangère/étrangères are both pronounced:
“ey-trohng-zher”
proud
- **fier **(m.) (s.)
- **fiers **(m.) (pl.)
- fiére (f.) (s.)
- fiéres (f.) (pl.)
All are pronounced:
“fee-yeihr”
courageous / brave
- courageux (m.) (s.)
- courageuse (f.) (s.)
- courageuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
Courageux is pronounced:
“kohr-ah-jeeyu”
Courageuse/courageuse are both pronounced:
“kohr-ah-jeeyooz”
Ex. Sophie et Paul sont courageuses.
curious
- curieux (m.) (s.)
- curieuse (f.) (s.)
- curieuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
Curieux is pronounced:
“kyoh-ree-yoo”
Curieuse/curieuses are both pronounced:
“kyoh-ree-yooz”
boring
- ennuyeux (m.) (s.)
- **ennuyeuse **(f.) (s.)
- ennuyeuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
Ennuyeux is pronounced:
“on-wee-yoo”
Ennuyeuse/ennuyeuses are both pronounced:
“on-wee-yooz”
generous
- généreux (m.) (s.)
- généreuse (f.) (s.)
- **généreuses **(f.) (m.) (pl.)
Généreux is pronounced:
“zshay-nay-roo”
Généreuse/généreuses are both pronounced:
“zshay-nay-rooz”
happy
- **heureux **(m.) (s.)
- **heureuse **(f.) (s.)
- **heureuses **(f.) (m.) (pl.)
Heureux is pronounced:
“ugh-hroo”
Heureuse/heureuses are both pronounced:
“ugh-hrooz”
unhappy
- **malheureux **(m.) (s.)
- malheureuse (f.) (s.)
- malheureuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
Malheureux is pronounced:
“mahl-ugh-hroo”
Malheureuse/malheureuses are both pronounced:
“mahl-ugh-hrooz”
nervous
- nerveux (m.) (s.) (pl.)
- nerveuse (f.) (s.)
- nerveuses (f.) (pl.)
Nerveux is pronounced:
“neihr-voo”
Nerveuse/nerveuses are both pronounced:
“neihr-vooz”
lazy
- paresseux (m.) (s.)
- paresseuse (f.) (s.)
- paresseuses (m.) (f.) (pl.)
Parasseux is pronounced:
“pah-reh-soo”
Parasseuse/parasseuses are both pronounced:
“pah-reh-sooz”
serious
- sérieux (m.) (s.)
- sérieuse (f.) (s.)
- sérieuses (f.) (m.) (pl.)
Sérieux is pronounced:
“sey-ree-yoo”
Sérieuse/sérieuses are both pronounced:
“sey-ree-yooz”
cruel
- cruel (m.) (s.)
- cruels (m.) (pl.)
- cruelle (f.) (s.)
- cruelles (f.) (pl.)
Ex. Paul et Stephane sont cruels.
Ex. Sophie est cruelle.
All are pronounced:
“khroo-ell”
intellectual
- intellectuel (m.) (s.)
- intellectuels (m.) (pl.)
- intelletuelle (f.) (s.)
- intellectuelles (f.) (pl.)
All are pronounced:
“ughn-teh-lekt-yoo-ehll”
active
- actif (m.) (s.)
- actifs (m.) (pl.)
- active (f.) (s.)
- actives (f.) (pl.)
Actif/actifs are both pronounced:
“ahk-teef”
Active/actives are both pronouned:
“ahk-teev”
naïf
- naïf (m.) (s.)
- **naïfs **(m.) (pl.)
- naïve (f.) (s.)
- naïves (f.) (pl.)
Naïf/naïfs are both pronounced:
“nai-eef”
Naïve/naïves are both pronounced:
“nai-eev”
athletic
- sportif (m.) (s.)
- sportifs (m.) (pl.)
- sportive (f.) (s.)
- sportives (f.) (pl.)
Sportif/sportifs are both pronounced:
“sporh-teef”
Sportive/sportives are both pronounced:
“sporh-teev”
hard-working
- travailleur (m.) (s.)
- travailleurs (m.) (pl.)
- travailleuse (f.) (s.)
- travailleuses (f.) (pl.)
Travailleur/travailleurs are both pronounced:
“trhah-vay-yeeur”
Travailleuse/travailleuses are both pronounced:
“trhah-vay-yeeuz”
What is the French word for handsome in the masculine plural form?
beaux
What is the French word for generous in the feminine plural form?
généreuses
What is the French word for “hard-working” in the feminine singular form?
travailleuse
What is the French word for “unhappy” in the masculine singular form?
malheureux
What is the French word for “naïve” in the feminine plural form?
naïves
What is the French word for “foreign” in the feminine singular form?
étrangère