Forming the feminine of adjectives ending in "-el/-eil/-il/-ul/-et/some in -s" in French

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE

Last updated: 2023-09-06

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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:

Georges est cruel mais Flora n'est pas cruelle.George is cruel but Flora is not cruel.

Mon manteau est pareil, et ma cravate est pareille.My coat is the same, and my tie is the same.

Le jardin est net et la maison est nette aussi.The garden is neat and the house is neat too.

Le journal télévisé n'est pas nul mais la télé-réalité est nulle.The news is not lame but reality TV is lame.

François n'est pas professionnel mais Diane est professionnelle.François is not professional but Diane is professional.

Il est gentil et elle est gentille.He is kind and she is kind.

Voilà un bon gâteau et une bonne boisson.Here is a good cake and a good drink.

Il y a un château ancien et une église ancienne.There is an ancient castle and an ancient church.

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:

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.

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)*

Gary est gros mais Suzanne est très grosse.Gary is fat but Suzanne is very fat.

Le bacon est gras mais la salade n'est pas grasse.Bacon is fatty but salad is not fatty.

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.

* antiquated

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