How Modify French Nouns With Adjectives (Adjectifs)

An adjective is a word that modifies a noun by describing it in some way: shape, color, size, nationality, etc. Differences Between French and English Adjectives French adjectives are very different from English adjectives in two ways: French adjectives change to agree in gender and number with the nouns that they modify, which means there can be up to four forms of each adjective:   Adjective: pretty joli Masculine singular joli Feminine singular jolie Masculine plural jolis Feminine plural jolies In English, adjectives are always found in front of the noun, but most French adjectives follow the noun they modify:​ green book un livre vert smart teacher un professeur intelligent But there are some French adjectives that precede the noun: handsome boy un beau garon small glass un petit verre Agreement of Regular French Adjectives (Accord des adjectifs rà ©guliers) French adjectives change to agree in gender and number with the nouns that they modify, which means there can be up to four forms of each adjective. The different forms for adjectives depend mostly on the final letter(s) of the default form of the adjective, which is the masculine singular. Most French adjectives add E for feminine and S for plural. This rule applies to adjectives that end in most consonants as well as all vowels except the unaccented E. It also includes all regular and most irregular  present participles  and  past participles: Adjective: green vert Masculine singular vert Feminine singular verte Masculine plural verts Feminine plural vertes Adjective: blue bleu Masculine singular bleu Feminine singular bleue Masculine plural bleus Feminine plural bleues Adjective: funny amusant Masculine singular amusant Feminine singular amusante Masculine plural amusants Feminine plural amusantes Adjective: spicy pic Masculine singular pic Feminine singular pice Masculine plural pics Feminine plural pices When the masculine singular adjective ends in an unaccented E, there is no difference between the masculine and  feminine forms: Adjective: red rouge Masculine singular rouge Feminine singular rouge Masculine plural rouges Feminine plural rouges When the default form of the adjective ends in S or X, there is no difference between the masculine singular and  plural forms: Adjective: grey gris Masculine singular gris Feminine singular grise Masculine plural gris Feminine plural grises While most French adjectives fit into one of the above categories, there are still quite a few that have irregular feminine and/or plural forms. Note:  These rules are the same for  making nouns feminine and plural. Agreement of Irregular French Adjectives Most French adjectives are regular, but there are a number of irregular adjectives, based on the final letter(s) of the masculine singular adjective. Adjectives that end in a vowel plus L or N usually become feminine by doubling the consonant before adding E. Ending: el elle Adjective: personal personnel Masculine singular personnel Feminine singular personnelle Masculine plural personnels Feminine plural personnelles Ending: on onne Adjective: good bon Masculine singular bon Feminine singular bonne Masculine plural bons Feminine plural bonnes Adjectives that end in  er  or  et  need a  grave accent: Ending: er re Adjective: expensive cher Masculine singular cher Feminine singular chre Masculine plural chers Feminine plural chres Ending: et te Adjective: full complet Masculine singular complet Feminine singular complte Masculine plural complets Feminine plural compltes Other final letters lead to very irregular feminine endings: Ending: c che Adjective: white blanc Masculine singular blanc Feminine singular blanche Masculine plural blancs Feminine plural blanches Ending: eur euse Adjective: flattering flatteur Masculine singular flatteur Feminine singular flatteuse Masculine plural flatteurs Feminine plural flatteuses Ending: eux euse Adjective: happy heureux Masculine singular heureux Feminine singular heureuse Masculine plural heureux Feminine plural heureuses Ending: f ve Adjective: new neuf Masculine singular neuf Feminine singular neuve Masculine plural neufs Feminine plural neuves Irregular plurals: The ending  al  changes to  aux  in the plural: Adjective: ideal idal Masculine singular idal Feminine singular idale Masculine plural idaux Feminine plural idales Note: Most of the above rules are the same for  making nouns feminine and plural. Irregular French adjectives There are several French adjectives which have irregular feminine and plural forms, as well as a  special form  when they are placed in front of a masculine noun that begins with a vowel or a  mute H: a handsome man un bel homme an old friend un vieil ami Adjective Singular masc vowel/H Singular fem Plural masc Plural fem beautiful beau bel belle beaux belles new nouveau nouvel nouvelle nouveaux nouvelles crazy fou fol folle fous folles soft mou mol molle mous molles old vieux vieil vieille vieux vieilles Position of French Adjectives In English, adjectives virtually always precede the nouns they modify: a blue car, a big house. In French, adjectives may be placed before or after the noun, depending on their type and meaning. This concept can be aggravating for French learners, but with patience and practice youll be able to describe any object like a natural. The following explanations should cover about 95% of adjectives, but, alas, there are always some exceptions. Placement After the Noun Most  descriptive adjectives  are placed after the noun they modify. These normally have an analytical meaning, in that they classify the noun into a certain category. These types of adjectives include shape,  color, taste,  nationality, religion, social class, and other adjectives that describe things like  personality  and  mood. round table une table ronde black book un livre noir sweet tea du th sucr American woman une femme amricaine Catholic church une glise catholique middle-class family une famille bourgeoise In addition,  present participles  and  past participles  used as adjectives are always placed after the noun. interesting story une histoire intressante lively debate un dbat passionn      Placement Before the Noun Certain adjectives are placed before the noun, some which you can memorize with the acronym BAGS: B Beauty A Age G Good and bad S Size (except for grande with people, see below) These descriptors—and a few others—are considered inherent qualities of the noun: pretty girl une jolie fille young man un jeune homme new house une nouvelle maison good child un bon enfant small problem un petit problme sincere condolences les sincres condolances vague promises les vagues promesses kind boy un gentil garon In addition, all non-descriptive (i.e.  demonstrative,  indefinite,  interrogative,  negative, and  possessive) adjectives are placed before the noun: these books ces livres each person chaque personne which pen? quel stylo ? no woman aucune femme my child mon enfant Placement Depends on Meaning Some adjectives have both a figurative and an analytic (literal) sense and can thus be placed on either side of the noun. When the adjective is figurative, it goes before the noun, and when its analytic, it goes after the noun. Figurative: my green (fruitful) years mes vertes annes Literal: green vegetables des lgumes verts Figurative: a great man un grand homme Literal: a tall man un homme grand Figurative: a sad (mean or bad) person un triste individu Literal: a sad (crying) person un individu triste Figurative: my old (former) school mon ancienne cole Literal: my old (aged) school mon cole ancienne Figurative: a certain (type of) look un certain regard Literal: a certain (assured) victory une victoire certaine

The Global Economy and International Trade - 1357 Words

The Global Economy and International Trade What Is International Trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product (GDP). While international trade has been present throughout much of history, its economic, social, and political importance has been on the rise in recent centuries. Increasing international trade is crucial to the continuance of globalization. Without international trade, nations would be limited to the goods and services produced within their own borders. The Importance Of International Trade To The US Economy America cannot have a growing economy or lift the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â€"  Science And Technology Revolution After the WWII, led by the United States, atomic energy, electronics, synthetic materials, space technology and biological technology appears as a representative of the new technology revolution. 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Le Ly Hayslip Between East and West Free Essays

The West has always been generally regarded as a negative force upon Asian cultures in the sense that the introduction of Western ways brings irrevocable changes that stains the purity Oriental cultures. On the other side of the fence, the West has always regarded the East as a land of exotic people, stubbornly clinging to their old ways, refusing to change with the times. Indeed it is a clash between the immovable rock and the irresistible force, and people in the crossroads get caught and get lost in the maelstrom, with a few coming out unscathed. We will write a custom essay sample on Le Ly Hayslip: Between East and West or any similar topic only for you Order Now Le Ly Hayslip’s book When Heaven and Earth Changed Places chronicles such a struggle. It is a poignant book that captures the rending of one’s soul, when one is caught between the need to change and the desire to cling to the old and the familiar. The encroachment of the West first took place within the context of the Vietnam War, when the United States allied itself with South Vietnam against the communist North. More than a book about how war changes a life, the book is about how Le Ly Hayslip straddled the East and the West and how she managed to keep herself whole and survived. The book captures the epic life of Le Ly Hayslip, from her childhood, to her life as a young woman escaping to the United States, to her return to her native land, some twenty years after. This paper seeks to take a look at Le Ly’s life at three important milestones and understand how the West has imposed itself upon her world and how it changed her life as well as those of the people she loved. The West first came into Le Ly’s life when she was still very young. Perhaps in an uncanny prediction of her destiny, her village straddles the border between the conflicting South and North Vietnam. Their lives were constantly being pulled by soldiers from each side and their loyalties were constantly shifting and the people were under constant threat of violence and threat to their lives. Le Ly captures the simplicity of their life as well as the suffering they endured at the crossroads, â€Å"Although the land remained fertile, farming was often interrupted and the whole village came close to destruction.† (5) While the influence of the West is not so direct in this case, it can actually be seen in the civil war that is going on in her country. For a long time, Vietnam has been a colony of France, and it was only after World War did Vietnam finally gain its independence. However, the fledgling country soon fell under the shadow of communism through the influence of China, which in turn was being controlled by the Soviet Union. In light of this, it might be said Western imperialism has been affecting Le Ly’s life from the day she was born. The desire of the Soviet Union to spread the communist ideology is the reason why South and North Vietnam are at war. When Le Ly was 14 years old, Le Ly and her friends worked as lookouts for North Vietcongs. The South discovered what she was doing and she is arrested and tortured. When she is released from prison, the Vietcongs regard her with suspicion and sentence her to death, charging her with espionage. However, instead of killing her, the two soldiers tasked with carrying out her sentence raped Le Ly instead. It was at this juncture that Le Ly left her village to work in the town of Saigon. In Da Nang, she took on several jobs, working as a maid, a black-market vendor, and a prostitute. It was at this stage of her life that Le Ly met several Americans. Her bad experiences in the hands of the Vietcongs as well as the relatively good treatment she received from the Americans have changed Le Ly’s values and allegiances. This relatively pleasant encounter with the West has planted in Le Ly the desire to leave Vietnam and start a new life in the United States. She saw the West as a land of promise, where she can escape from all the violence and war in the East. She saw a chance when Ed, asks her hand in marriage, after which, they immediately left Vietnam with her son in tow. When Le Ly left for the United States, she longed to someday return to her home land, but she was also unsure if she will ever have that chance. In the United States, she gets down to settling to a new life, resolved to leave the past behind. Of course that is easier said than done, and her love for her family and the longing to return to Vietnam never left Le Ly. This desire became stronger when Le Ly found prosperity and success in the United State. After so many years of living as an American, Le Ly returned to Vietnam. In all her years living in the United States, she managed to stay true to her eastern roots. The Buddhist ways that Le Ly’s father taught her served as the anchor of her identity, and she never gave up this part of her that she held sacred. Between the East and the West, Le Ly found a haven in the love and respect that she had for the two countries that she calls home. And that perhaps is the reason why Le Ly was able to reconcile the conflict and rage that was tearing her soul apart. She soon comes to an understanding and by her own words Le Ly thus describes the freedom and wisdom in living a life of compassion, Vietnam already had too many people who were ready to die for their beliefs. What it needed was men and women – brothers and sisters – who refused to accept either death or death-dealing as a solution to their problems. If you keep compassion in your heart, I discovered, I discovered, you never long for death yourself. From my father’s death, I had finally learned how to live. (383) References Hayslip, L. L. (1993). When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: Tie-In Edi How to cite Le Ly Hayslip: Between East and West, Essay examples