Position of an adjective

Question

Hello, please advise why affreuse is in front of the noun. je souffre d'affreuses crampesThank you

Accepted Answer

Hi Eugene, 
Please take a look at the following lesson -
Position of French Adjectives - Short and common adjectives that go BEFORE nouns
 
Hope this helps!

Answer

I couldn't find the answer in Cécile's link. Because the situation Eugene brought up is actually quite often encountered, I think this situation merits a mention in the lesson and should be added.

By putting an adjective ahead of the noun that would normally follow the noun, you make a stylistic choice. In this case, you emphasize the intensity of the cramps and convey a stronger emotional impact. This word order choice is common when expressing personal experiences or strong emotions in French. The preceding adjective conveys a subjective quality such as an opinion, a feeling or judgement.