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French Study Guide: Masculine/Feminine Endings, Comparatives, and BAGS Adjectives

Masculine and Feminine Endings

  • This section outlines how French adjectives change form to agree with gender (masculine/feminine) and how to form plurals.
  • The transcript provides a compact, partly garbled set of rules that map masculine endings to feminine endings, along with examples and common exceptions.

Masculine endings and feminine endings (general patterns)

  • Base idea: many masculine adjectives add an ending to form the feminine. The transcript lists a sequence of patterns (some garbled) but the intended ideas are:
    • If the masculine ends in -e, the feminine often also ends in -e (e.g., beau → belle, grand → grande).
    • Some endings trigger a specific feminine ending change beyond merely adding -e. The transcript hints at several common patterns:
    • -t, -dr, -u, -i, -é tend to require an ending change in the feminine, typically by adding or altering to form the feminine form (e.g., grand(e), actif → active, vieux → vieille).
    • -el often becomes -elle (el -> elle). Examples: cruel → cruelle; nouveau → nouvelle (note: nouveau is irregular before certain consonants; see below).
    • -t or similar endings may produce -ette in the feminine (e.g., net → nette).
    • -x typically becomes -se in the feminine (e.g., heureux → heureuse).
    • -ien tends to become -ienne (ancien → ancienne; canadien → canadienne).
    • The exact mappings can be irregular and depend on the adjective, but these are the common patterns one should memorize.
  • The transcript shows a fragmented sequence: "e→e, t, dr, u_, i, é >+e, x-se, if rive, el- lle, ien-> +nne" which corresponds (in typical French) to:
    • e → e (no change when feminine form is formed simply by adding -e or sometimes no change if already in feminine form)
    • -t, -dr, -u, -i, -é → +e (general notion that some masculine endings add -e to form feminine, with many irregularities)
    • -x → -se (heureux → heureuse; if/when the adjective ends with -x)
    • el → elle (el -> elle)
    • ien → ienne (ancien → ancienne; canadien → canadienne)
  • Practical takeaway: learn the common irregular feminine forms by pattern and memorize irregular pairs (e.g., beau → belle; nouveau → nouvelle; vieux → vieille; ancien → ancienne).

Irregulars and before-vowel adjustments

  • When adjectives precede a vowel-starting noun, some forms shorten or adjust for euphony:
    • beau → bel (before a masculine singular noun starting with a vowel): bel homme
    • nouveau → nouvel (before a vowel): nouvel ami
    • vieux → vieil (before a vowel): vieil homme
  • These are the usual exceptions you’ll encounter with BAGS adjectives (see below).

Plural formation

  • Basic rule from the transcript: add s to form the plural for most nouns and adjectives.
    • Example: un livre bleu → deux livres bleus
  • Exception mentioned: words ending in -x do not take an -s in the masculine plural (e.g., un prix, des prix).
    • In practice this is a general rule in French: plural of -x endings typically stays -x (no -s) in masculine: un prix → deux prix; heureu(x) → heureuses (feminine plural adds -es).
  • The transcript’s line: "Add an s to make plural (except x)" captures this common pattern.

Comparative adjectives

  • How to form comparisons:
    • Plus de … (more of …) and moins de … (less of …) for quantities or amounts.
    • Autant de … (as much/many as …) for equal quantities.
  • To compare qualities (adjectives) or to express a comparison with equality/inequality, use:
    • Plus + adjective + que … (more [adj] than …)
    • Moins + adjective + que … (less [adj] than …)
    • Aussi + adjective + que … (as [adj] as …)
  • Examples (illustrative):
    • Il a plus de livres que moi. ext{Il a plus de livres que moi}
    • Elle est aussi intelligente que lui. ext{Elle est aussi intelligente que lui}
    • Ce problème est moins difficile que celui-ci. ext{Ce problème est moins difficile que celui-ci}
  • The transcript also lists the corresponding constructions with nouns and quantity, e.g.:
    • plus de + [noun] (more of a noun)
    • autant de + [noun] (as much/many of a noun)

Adjectives that go before the noun (BAGS)

  • The commonly taught order of adjectives dictates that certain categories usually appear before the noun:
    • Beauty: beau, joli (and related forms such as beau/bel, joli, bel comme exception before vowels)
    • Age: jeune, vieux, ancien, nouveau
    • Goodness: bon, bien, mauvais
    • Number: un, deux, trois, etc. (numerals precede the noun)
    • Size: petit, grand, gros, mince
  • These are known as BAGS adjectives and are typically placed before the noun they modify.

Exceptions and notes for BAGS before the noun

  • Before a vowel, some forms change to maintain ease of pronunciation:
    • Beau → bel (before masculine singular vowel-starting noun)
    • Nouveau → nouvel (before masculine singular vowel-starting noun)
    • Vieux → vieil (before masculine singular vowel-starting noun)
  • Some color adjectives (and other adjectives) before the noun do not require an extra ending or may be used in an invariable form in certain contexts. Examples in the transcript include colors such as marron, which is commonly noted as not always taking an extra feminine form when placed before a noun (i.e., marron remains marron rather than marronne in some usages).
    • Example: une chemise marron (not always marronne)
  • The transcript includes a note: "Some adjectives (ex. colors) don't need an [extra ending], Ex. Marron" indicating color adjectives can be invariable before the noun in some cases (though many color adjectives agree in gender/number when placed after the noun or in other contexts).

Unclear item from the transcript

  • A line reads: "Date s to be plural"—the exact meaning is unclear from the transcript. This may refer to a note about plurality in dates or a stray fragment. Treat as an item to verify with the source material.

Quick reference examples (summary)

  • Masculine → Feminine patterns (illustrative, not exhaustive):
    • beau → belle; joli → jolie; grand → grande; petit → petite; cruel → cruelle; ancien → ancienne; nouveau → nouvelle; vieux → vieille; actif → active; heureux → heureuse; -eau → -elle (bateau → bateau; no, see note: many -eau adjectives like beau take -elle in feminine form: beau → belle; nouveau → nouvelle).
  • Before a vowel (special forms):
    • beau → bel; nouveau → nouvel; vieux → vieil
  • Pluralization: livre → livres; bleu → bleus; prix → prix
  • Comparatives with adjectives: plus + adjectif + que; aussi + adjectif + que; aussi grand que; moins intelligent que
  • BAGS before noun: beau, joli; jeune, vieux, ancien, nouveau; bon, bien, mauvais; un, deux; petit, grand, gros, mince
  • Color adjectives before noun can be invariable in some cases (e.g., marron) depending on usage.

If you want, I can convert these notes into a concise study sheet with example sentences for each rule, and add a couple of practice exercises (fill-in-the-blank and short translations) to help you prepare for the exam.