adjectives: after n

The Position of Qualifying Adjectives in French

In French, the placement of adjectives can be a bit tricky. While in English adjectives almost always come before the noun (e.g., "a green apple"), in French, the general rule is that most adjectives are placed after the noun. However, there are specific categories to remember.

1. Adjectives Placed After the Noun

Most qualifying adjectives follow the noun they describe. This includes several specific categories:

• Color: une pomme verte (a green apple), un tableau noir (a blackboard).
• Shape: un plat rond (a round dish), une table carrée (a square table).
• Religion: un rite catholique (a Catholic rite), une église orthodoxe (an Orthodox church).
• Nationality: un écrivain français (a French writer), un étudiant étranger (a foreign student), des montres suisses (Swiss watches).
  Note: Adjectives of nationality are not treated like noun complements. You say mon amie américaine (my American friend), not mon amie Amérique.

2. Adjectives Functioning as Noun Complements

Adjectives that correspond to a "noun complement" (usually expressing an underlying relationship using "of") are placed after the noun:

• un temps printanier (spring-like weather / weather of spring)
• un problème économique (an economic problem / problem of the economy)
• la voiture présidentielle (the presidential car / car of the President)

3. Participles Used as Adjectives

Past and present participles that function as adjectives almost always come after the noun:

• Past Participles: une jupe plissée (a pleated skirt), un verre cassé (a broken glass), un volcan éteint (an extinct volcano).
• Present Participles: une histoire amusante (a funny story), un voyage fatigant (a tiring trip).

While some short, common adjectives (like beau, petit, or vieux) do go before the noun, following these rules for colors, shapes, and technical descriptions will cover the majority of cases.