Definite articles with physical characteristics

The definite article (le, la, l’, les) is often used with parts of the body instead of a possessive determiner (mon, ma, mes, etc.). Sentences with this structure always use the verb avoir to indicate that the possessor is the subject of the sentence. The following French sentences are equivalent.

However, an indefinite article is used if an adjective comes before the part of the body:

The definite article is also always used when pronominal verbs refer to parts of the body.

Adjectives that precede the noun

The placement of most adjectives in French is after the noun: un escargot parlant, une fourmi travailleuse, des tatous intelligents, etc. There is a small group of adjectives, however, that normally precede the noun. These adjectives may be categorized as adjectives of Beauty, Age, Numbers, Goodness, and Size (BANGS).

ordinal numbers:

beau, nouveau, vieux

Beau, nouveau, and vieux have irregular forms. Note the special forms in the masculine singular when they precede a word that begins with a vowel or a silent h.

The adjectives which precede the noun must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify (see the regular rule for adjective formation). Be aware that changing the position of some adjectives may change their meaning. Listen to this dialogue:

Irregular adjectives

Regular adjectives are formed by adding an e to the masculine form in the singular (content / contente), or by adding an s to the masculine and feminine forms in the plural (Tex et Edouard sont contents / Tammy et Bette sont contentes). This group of adjectives is by far the most common. There are, however, a number of adjectives which are called irregular, because they do not have the normal –e, –s, or –es endings. The endings of these irregular adjectives vary widely and often change the pronunciation.

Gender

Some adjectives are completely irregular:

Other adjectives can be grouped in categories:

Some adjectives have identical masculine and feminine forms. This is generally the case with adjectives ending in e in their masculine form and with foreign adjectives like ‘snob’, ‘cool’, etc. For example: Tex est un tatou imaginaire; Tammy aussi est imaginaire. Ils sont imaginaires. (Tex is an imaginary armadillo; Tammy too is imaginary. They are imaginary.) Here are a few of these adjectives:

Number

The majority of adjectives are regular in the plural; that is, an -s is added to the singular masculine or feminine forms. There are two major exceptions to this rule:

1.  Do not add an s to the masculine form of adjectives ending in s or x. The masculine singular and plural forms are thus identical: un animal heureux (a happy animal), des animaux heureux (happy animals). However, the feminine plural form of these adjectives is regular; it is formed by simply adding an s to the feminine singular form: une fille heureuse (a happy girl), des filles heureuses (happy girls).
2. Adjectives ending in al in the masculine singular form change to aux in the masculine plural form.

The feminine plural form of these adjectives is regular; it is formed by simply adding an s to the feminine singular form: Tex aime lire la presse internationale. Tex aime aussi les revues internationales. (Tex likes to read international papers. Tex also likes international magazines).

Listen to this dialogue:

Comparisons with adjectives

Comparative adjectives indicating more or less

Adjectives are frequently used to compare things, people, events, ideas etc. Plus … que conveys the idea of ‘more … than’, moins … que the idea of ‘less than.’

Comparative adjectives indicating similarity or equality

Aussi … que conveys the idea of ‘as … as’.

Irregular adjectives

The adjectives bon and mauvais have irregular forms of comparison, meilleur and pire. However, the regular form plus mauvais que has become commonly accepted. Note that this irregularity is found in English too with ‘better’ (not *gooder) and ‘worse’ (not *badder).

Listen to this dialogue:

Pronominal verbs

A pronominal verb is a verb that is accompanied by a reflexive pronoun. Pronominal verbs fall into three major classes based on their meaning: reflexive, idiomatic, and reciprocal. You have probably already seen the pronominal verb s’appeler (Comment t’appelles-tu? What is your name?). To conjugate pronominal verbs in the present tense, you need to pay attention to both the pronoun and the verb form. Listen carefully to the conjugation of the following pronominal verb. The verb is conjugated normally (here an -er verb) with addition of the reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nous, vous, se.

reflexive verbs

Pronominal verbs often express reflexive actions, that is, the subject performs the action on itself. If the subject performs the action on someone else, the verb is not reflexive. Here is a list of common reflexive verbs:

Compare the difference in meaning between se raser and raser in the following sentences. Note that English does not usually indicate reflexive meaning explicitly since it can be inferred from the context. However, if reflexive meaning is intended in French, then it must be explicitly stated by using a reflexive pronoun.

To negate pronominal verbs, place the ne before the reflexive pronoun and the pas after the verb. When used with an auxiliary verb such as aimer (to like), the infinitive of a pronominal verb agrees with its subject. When pronominal verbs are used with parts of the body, they take the definite article (le, la, les) rather than the possessive article as in English: Tex se lave les mains. (Tex washes his hands.)

idiomatic verbs

Some pronominal verbs are idiomatic and do not represent reflexive actions per se. s’amuser (to have fun) and se reposer (to rest) are examples of pronominal verbs with idiomatic meanings. The following list includes common idiomatic pronominal verbs:

reciprocal verbs

A third category of pronominal verbs expresses a reciprocal action between more than one person, s’aimer or se parler, for example. The English equivalent often uses the phrase ‘each other’ to represent this reciprocal action. Here is a list of common reciprocal verbs:

To form the imperative of pronominal verbs, drop the subject pronoun and then attach the reflexive pronoun with a hyphen to the right side of the verb. The reflexive pronoun te becomes toi when used in the imperative. Dépêche-toi! Hurry up!, Souvenons-nous. Let’s remember., Amusez-vous! Have fun!

c’est vs. il/elle est

To describe and introduce things or people in French, two common phrases are used: c’est and il/elle est. The plural forms are ce sont and ils/elles sont.

The choice between c’est and il / elle est is not always easy, but there are basic principles which can guide you in the choice. A rule of thumb is that c’est or ce sont are followed by a determined noun (‘le tatou’, ‘une Américaine’, ‘mes livres’). Remember that nouns in French are preceded by a determiner. Il/elle est and ils/elles sont are followed by an adjective (‘content’, ‘sympathique’).

c’est/ce sont

C’est and ce sont are followed by the following:

il/elle est/ils/elles sont

Use il/elle est or ils/elles sont to introduce the following:

Remember that il(s) and elle(s) refer to a specific person or thing. Ce does not refer to a specific person or thing; it is usually translated as that.