Forming the feminine of adjectives ending in -u in French

In French, the adjectives ending in -u have a specific ending in the feminine form.

The feminine form of adjectives ending in -u in French

Look at these adjectives:

Il pousse un cri aigu à cause d'une douleur aigüe.He gives a sharp scream because of a sharp pain.

Cet homme ambigu a eu une fin ambigüe.This ambiguous man had an ambiguous end.

C'est un espace contigu dans une maison contigüe.This is a contiguous space in a contiguous house.

Note that adjectives ending in -u (and NOT derived from verbs) become -üe in the written form, but are pronounced in exactly the same way as the masculine form. 

(The diaresis, ü, indicates here that the u is pronounced as a separate vowel, otherwise, for example, aigue would be pronounced rather like 'egg' in English.) 

Note that before the 1990s, the alternative -uë was the accepted spelling, and is still deemed acceptable now.

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

Cet homme ambigu a eu une fin ambigüe.This ambiguous man had an ambiguous end.
C'est un espace contigu dans une maison contigüe.This is a contiguous space in a contiguous house.
Il pousse un cri aigu à cause d'une douleur aigüe.He gives a sharp scream because of a sharp pain.
I'll be right with you...