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In French, certain adjectives change their meanings depending on whether they appear before or after the noun. This is the case for the adjective "dernier".
The French adjective dernier changes meaning according to its position
As an adjective, dernier agrees in gender and number with the noun it refers to.
1. Using dernier/dernière with [time phrases]
- To express last = previous
When last + [time phrase] means previous, dernier(s)/dernière(s) is placed after the noun.
- To express last = final
Pendant la dernière semaine de mes exams, je suis tombé malade.During the final week of my exams, I got sick.
When last + [time phrase] means final, dernier(s)/dernière(s) is placed before the noun.
- To express these last few ...
In French, these last few days, years... is expressed as ces derniers jours, ces dernières années. Here, the meaning of the expression is "these latest days", hence dernier being placed before the noun. Note that we don't use quelques to express few.
See also Prochain/Dernier = Next/Last + [durations] in French.
2. Using dernier/dernière + [noun]
With non time-related nouns, dernier is not used to express previous, only final or latest. Therefore, it always comes before the noun.
Les dernières hirondelles sont parties au début de l'automne.The last swallows left at the beginning of Fall.
Il est en train de lire le dernier chapitre de ton roman.He is reading the last chapter of your novel.
3. Special case of la fois dernière / la dernière fois = (the) last time
- To express last time (previous)
When last time is used on its own, you can use either la fois dernière or la dernière fois interchangeably in French.
BUT
When last time is followed by a relative clause (last time that I saw you), you can only use la dernière fois, never la fois dernière.
- To express the last time (final)
You always use la dernière fois.
See also:
Ancien = former/old (French Adjectives that change meaning according to position)
Cher= dear/expensive (French Adjectives that change meaning according to position)
Certain = specific / sure in French (adjectives that change meaning according to position)
Propre = own/clean (French Adjectives that change meaning according to position)
Vrai = real/true (French Adjectives that change meaning according to position)
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