I can describe a person's looks and a thing: put beau, nouveau, and vieux into any of their five forms, say “des journaux originaux”, and leave the colors marron and orange unchanged.
Beau, bel, belle : three adjectives with special forms
Beau, bel, belle : three adjectives with special forms
To describe a person or a thing more precisely than with grand and petit, you need adjectives with special forms. The three most common are beau, nouveau, and vieux: each has five forms, not four. All five are in the table.
The fifth form appears before a word that starts with a vowel or a silent h: bel, nouvel, vieil. You say un bel hôtel, un nouvel ordinateur, un vieil ami. In the plural this special form disappears: ces vieux amis.
The feminine of these three adjectives is spelled with a double consonant: belle, nouvelle, vieille.
Adjectives in al become aux in the masculine plural: original — originaux, génial — géniaux. Their feminine is regular: originale, originales.
Most French colors agree with the noun, but two never change: marron and orange. They come from the names of things (a chestnut, an orange), so they take no -s and no -e.
The special endings you already know still work: sérieux — sérieuse, sportif — sportive, cher — chère.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “un vieux ami” → “un vieil ami”.
• NOT “un beau homme” → “un bel homme”.
• NOT “des journaux originals” → “des journaux originaux”.
• NOT “ces chaussures marrons” → “ces chaussures marron”.
• NOT “une nouveau voiture” → “une nouvelle voiture”.
Beau, nouveau, vieux: five forms instead of four
The special masculine form appears only before a vowel or a silent h; in the plural it disappears.
| Before a consonant | Before a vowel or h muet | Feminine | Masculine plural | Feminine plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| un beau jardin | un bel hôtel | une belle photo | ces beaux livres | ces belles photos |
| un nouveau vélo | un nouvel ordinateur | une nouvelle voiture | ces nouveaux vélos | ces nouvelles voitures |
| un vieux bus | un vieil ami | une vieille guitare | ces vieux bus | ces vieilles guitares |
The -al → -aux type and two colors that never change
Adjectives in -al have a regular feminine; marron and orange never change.
| Word | Masculine | Masculine plural | Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| original | un journal original | ces journaux originaux | une photo originale |
| génial | un projet génial | ces projets géniaux | une idée géniale |
| marron | un pull marron | ces chaussures marron | une veste marron |
| orange | un sac orange | ces vestes orange | une robe orange |
Lesson notes
Beau, bel, belle : three adjectives with special forms
To describe a person or a thing more precisely than with grand and petit, you need adjectives with special forms. The three most common are beau, nouveau, and vieux: each has five forms, not four. All five are in the table.
The fifth form appears before a word that starts with a vowel or a silent h: bel, nouvel, vieil. You say un bel hôtel, un nouvel ordinateur, un vieil ami. In the plural this special form disappears: ces vieux amis.
The feminine of these three adjectives is spelled with a double consonant: belle, nouvelle, vieille.
Adjectives in al become aux in the masculine plural: original — originaux, génial — géniaux. Their feminine is regular: originale, originales.
Most French colors agree with the noun, but two never change: marron and orange. They come from the names of things (a chestnut, an orange), so they take no -s and no -e.
The special endings you already know still work: sérieux — sérieuse, sportif — sportive, cher — chère.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “un vieux ami” → “un vieil ami”.
• NOT “un beau homme” → “un bel homme”.
• NOT “des journaux originals” → “des journaux originaux”.
• NOT “ces chaussures marrons” → “ces chaussures marron”.
• NOT “une nouveau voiture” → “une nouvelle voiture”.