In French, adjectives ending in -el/-eil/-il/-ul/-et/-s have a specific feminine form.
Learn how to make the feminine form of adjectives ending in -el/-eil/-il/-ul/-et/and some adjectives in -s in French
Look at these feminine adjectives:
Le journal télévisé n'est pas nul mais la télé-réalité est nulle.The news is not lame but reality TV is lame.
Note that adjectives ending in -el, -eil, -il, -ul, -en, -on, -et double the final consonant in the feminine form and then add -e.
In many but not all cases, the change can be heard in speech.
Case of adjectives ending in -s
While most adjectives in -s don't double the consonant in the feminine:
there are a few common exceptions to know:
- gras -> grasse (fatty,fat)
- gros -> grosse (big, fat)
- épais -> épaisse (thick)
- bas -> basse (low)
- las -> lasse (weary)*
- gros -> grosse (big, fat)
- épais -> épaisse (thick)
- bas -> basse (low)
- las -> lasse (weary)*
See also Forming the feminine of nouns and adjectives ending in "-ien/-ion/-on" in French
* antiquated
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Mon pantalon est gris, et ma chemise est grise aussi.My trousers are grey, and my shirt is grey too.
- Ce résultat est mauvais. - Non, c'est la question qui est mauvaise.- This result is wrong. - No, it's the question that's wrong.
Le velours est épais, mais la soie n'est pas épaisse du tout.Velvet is quite thick, but silk isn't thick at all.
- Ici, le plafond est trop bas. - Et là, c'est la fenêtre qui est trop basse.- Here, the ceiling is too low. - And there, it's the window that's too low.
sound different in the feminine form
sound the same in both forms
François n'est pas professionnel mais Diane est professionnelle.François is not professional but Diane is professional.