Understanding French Agreement
French noun agreement is a fundamental concept where articles, adjectives, and sometimes verbs must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they relate to.
This agreement system ensures grammatical harmony throughout the sentence and is essential for correct French.
Unlike English, where adjectives don't change form, French requires constant attention to agreement patterns.
Examples
un petit chat (a small cat - masculine singular)
une petite chatte (a small female cat - feminine singular)
des grands arbres (some big trees - masculine plural)
des grandes maisons (some big houses - feminine plural)
Article Agreement with Nouns
Articles must always agree with their nouns in gender and number. This is the most basic form of agreement.
Definite Article Agreement
Definite articles change based on noun characteristics:
Definite Article Agreement
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | le livre | the book |
| Feminine Singular | la table | the table |
| Before Vowel | l'ami | the friend |
| Plural (both) | les livres/tables | the books/tables |
Indefinite Article Agreement
Indefinite articles also change with gender and number:
Indefinite Article Agreement
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | un chat | a cat |
| Feminine Singular | une chaise | a chair |
| Plural (both) | des chats/chaises | some cats/chairs |
Partitive Article Agreement
Partitive articles follow the same gender patterns:
du pain (some bread - masculine)
de la viande (some meat - feminine)
de l'eau (some water - before vowel)
des légumes (some vegetables - plural)
Adjective Agreement with Nouns
Adjectives must agree in both gender and number with the nouns they modify. This creates four possible forms for most adjectives.
Regular Adjective Agreement
Most adjectives follow predictable patterns:
Regular Adjective Agreement (petit)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | un petit chat | a small cat |
| Feminine Singular | une petite chatte | a small female cat |
| Masculine Plural | des petits chats | some small cats |
| Feminine Plural | des petites chattes | some small female cats |
Adjective Agreement Patterns
Different adjectives have different agreement patterns:
grand/grande/grands/grandes (big)
Regular pattern: add -e for feminine, -s for plural
heureux/heureuse/heureux/heureuses (happy)
-eux → -euse for feminine
blanc/blanche/blancs/blanches (white)
-c → -che for feminine
Position and Agreement
Adjective agreement works regardless of whether the adjective comes before or after the noun.
Before the noun: BAGS adjectives (Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size)
After the noun: Most other adjectives
Agreement rules remain the same in both positions.
Examples
une belle maison (a beautiful house - before)
une maison moderne (a modern house - after)
de vieux arbres (some old trees - before)
des arbres verts (some green trees - after)
les grandes voitures rouges (the big red cars)
Both adjectives agree with feminine plural noun
Special Agreement Cases
Some situations require special attention to agreement rules:
Multiple Adjectives
When multiple adjectives modify one noun, each must agree:
une petite voiture rouge (a small red car)
Both adjectives agree with feminine singular
des grandes maisons blanches (some big white houses)
Both adjectives agree with feminine plural
Compound Nouns
Agreement with compound nouns follows the main noun:
une grand-mère gentille (a kind grandmother)
Adjective agrees with the feminine noun
Invariable Adjectives
Some adjectives never change form:
des voitures marron (some brown cars)
Color adjectives like marron don't change
des filles super (some great girls)
Informal adjectives like super don't change
Verb Agreement with Nouns
Verbs must agree with their subjects in number (and sometimes gender with past participles).
Examples
Le chat mange. (The cat eats.)
Les chats mangent. (The cats eat.)
Elle est partie. (She left.)
Elles sont parties. (They left.)
Past Participle Agreement
Past participles agree in specific situations:
Elle est arrivée. (She arrived - with être)
Past participle agrees with subject
Les lettres qu'il a écrites. (The letters he wrote)
Agreement when direct object precedes
Common Agreement Mistakes
Here are frequent errors students make with French agreement:
1. Forgetting feminine forms: Using masculine adjectives with feminine nouns
2. Missing plural agreement: Not making adjectives plural
3. Wrong article gender: Using le with feminine nouns
4. Inconsistent agreement: Some elements agree, others don't
Examples
❌ une grand maison → ✅ une grande maison
Wrong: adjective must be feminine
❌ des petit chats → ✅ des petits chats
Wrong: adjective must be plural
❌ le table → ✅ la table
Wrong: table is feminine
❌ les grande voitures → ✅ les grandes voitures
Wrong: adjective must agree in number