In French, the main rule regarding the position of adjectives is that they usually come AFTER the noun, [see Adjectives usually go AFTER nouns in French (Position of Adjectives)], but as always in French, there are exceptions!
Adjectives that go before the noun in French
Here is a list of short and very common adjectives that go BEFORE the noun:
Masculine and feminine forms | English |
bon / bonne |
good |
mauvais / mauvaise |
bad |
beau / belle |
beautiful, handsome |
joli / jolie |
pretty |
vilain / vilaine |
mean/naughty |
jeune |
young |
vieux / vieille |
old |
grand / grande |
big, tall |
petit / petite |
small, little |
gros / grosse |
big, fat |
faux / fausse |
false |
bref / brève |
brief, short |
long / longue |
long |
vaste |
vast |
nouveau / nouvelle |
new |
Here are some examples with these adjectives:
Here's a famous mnemonic tip to help you remember these adjectives that come before the noun: you can call them the BAGS adjectives, which stand for
Beauty (joli/beau)
Age (vieux/jeune)
Goodness (gentil/méchant)
Size (grand/petit)
ATTENTION:
As stated in Adjectives usually go AFTER nouns in French (Position of Adjectives), these adjectives will be AFTER the noun if :
- used with a long adverb (2 or more syllables) :
- followed by a "complementary" group introduced by a preposition (à, de, pour, comme,...):
These are not the only exceptions placed BEFORE the noun they refer to - see the more advanced lesson: Position of French Adjectives - More adjectives that go BEFORE nouns
See also how beau, vieux and nouveau are different: Beau, nouveau, vieux, fou, mou have two masculine forms and one feminine form (French Adjectives) and Beau, nouveau, vieux have different plural forms for masculine and feminine (French Adjectives)
See also Adjectives usually go AFTER nouns in French (Position of Adjectives)
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Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Tout blanc de neige blanche,
Un vieux monsieur s'avance, On the long path,
All white with white snow,
An old man advances,