Odd Transformation Adjectives
Tap a French term to hear it pronounced.
Archaic Masculine Adjectives
The feminine forms of some adjectives are based on an archaic masculine form. This archaic masculine form is still used before masculine nouns that begin with a vowel or silent 'h'.
| Masculine | Archaic Masculine | Feminine | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| beau | bel | belle | beautiful |
| nouveau | nouvel | nouvelle | new |
| vieux | vieil | vieille | old |
| fou | fol | folle | crazy |
| mou | mol | molle | soft |
-x/-se
Normally, adjectives ending in -x replace the -x with -se to form the feminine.
| Masculine | Feminine | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| amoureux | amoureuse | in love |
| courageux | courageuse | courageous |
| curieux | curieuse | curious |
| ennuyeux | ennuyeuse | boring |
| furieux | furieuse | furious |
| heureux | heureuse | happy |
| jaloux | jalouse | jealous |
| merveilleux | merveilleuse | marvelous |
| peureux | peureuse | fearful |
| sérieux | sérieuse | serious |
but there are exceptions...
| Masculine | Feminine | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| doux | douce | soft |
| roux | rousse | reddish-brown |
| faux | fausse | false, wrong |
-f/-ve endings
| Masculine | Feminine | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| actif | active | active |
| bref | brève | brief |
| destructif | destructive | destructive |
| neuf | neuve | new |
| vif | vive | alive, bright |
Miscellaneous Odd Transformations
| Masculine | Feminine | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| aigu | aiguë | sharp, high-pitched |
| blanc | blanche | white |
| favori | favorite | favorite |
| frais | fraîche | fresh |
| franc | franche | frank, candid |
| grec | grecque | Greek |
| long | longue | long |
| public | publique | public |
| sec | sèche | dry |
| turc | turque | Turkish |
The -eur ending masculine adjectives are an odd lot, following three different patterns.
-eur/-eure
The following -eur ending adjectives follow the regular pattern.
| Masculine | Feminine | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| antérieur | antérieure | anterior |
| postérieur | postérieure | posterior |
| extérieur | extérieure | exterior |
| intérieur | intérieure | interior |
| inférieur | inférieure | inferior |
| supérieur | supérieure | superior |
| majeur | majeure | major |
| mineur | mineure | minor |
| meilleur | meilleure | better |
-eur/-euse
When an -eur ending adjective is derived from a verb, it ends with -euse.
| Root Verbs | Masculine | Feminine | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| flatter | flatteur | flatteuse | flattering |
| mentir | menteur | menteuse | lying, deceptive |
| moquer | moqueur | moqueuse | mocking |
| tromper | trompeur | trompeuse | deceitful |
-teur /-trice
| Masculine | Feminine | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| acteur | actrice | acting |
| conservateur | conservatrice | conservative |
| créateur | créatrice | creative |
| protecteur | protectrice | protective |
