Coffee Break French CBF 2:08 | Adjectives: Colours and nationalities
Mar 14, 2009
Short lesson on French adjectives, focusing on colours and nationalities. Clear examples of masculine, feminine and plural forms. Pronunciation tips for gender changes and spelling shifts like blanc → blanche. A concise recap of patterns to help recognition and practice.
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Adjective Gender Changes Affect Pronunciation
- French adjectives change form to agree with gender, shown by prêt (masculine) and prête (feminine).
- The added -e often activates a previously silent consonant, so prête pronounces the t while prêt does not.
Colours Follow Nouns And Change With Gender
- Many French colour adjectives follow noun and change for gender: un livre vert versus une voiture verte.
- Adjective placement is usually after the noun, as shown with un livre vert and une voiture verte.
Feminine Spelling Can Be Silent In Speech
- Adding -e to colours like noir or bleu makes a feminine spelling noire/bleue but often leaves pronunciation unchanged.
- You must still write the extra -e even when spoken forms are identical.