These four adjectives are among the most frequently used in French. They all go before the noun (BANGS adjectives) and have some irregular feminine forms. Mastering them will greatly improve your ability to describe things in everyday conversation.
Forms and Pronunciation
| Masculine | IPA | Feminine | IPA | Masc. Plural | IPA | Fem. Plural | IPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| grand | [ɡʁɑ̃] | grande | [ɡʁɑ̃d] | grands | [ɡʁɑ̃] | grandes | [ɡʁɑ̃d] |
| petit | [pə.ti] | petite | [pə.tit] | petits | [pə.ti] | petites | [pə.tit] |
| bon | [bɔ̃] | bonne | [bɔn] | bons | [bɔ̃] | bonnes | [bɔn] |
| mauvais | [mo.vɛ] | mauvaise | [mo.vɛz] | mauvais | [mo.vɛ] | mauvaises | [mo.vɛz] |
Note: since these adjectives go before the noun, only the -e/-s endings change the sound for grand and bon. For petit and mauvais, the masculine plural sounds the same as the singular (the -s is silent).
Grand / Grande (Big, Tall, Great)
- une grande maison [yn ɡʁɑ̃d mɛ.zɔ̃] — a big house
- Il est grand. [i.lɛ ɡʁɑ̃] — He is tall.
- C’est un grand jour! [sɛ.tœ̃ ɡʁɑ̃ ʒuʁ] — It’s a big day!
Petit / Petite (Small, Little, Short)
- un petit chat [œ̃ pə.ti ʃa] — a small cat
- Elle est petite. [ɛ.lɛ pə.tit] — She is short.
- le petit déjeuner [lə pə.ti de.ʒœ.ne] — breakfast
Bon / Bonne (Good)
- un bon livre [œ̃ bɔ̃ livʁ] — a good book
- une bonne idée [yn bɔ.ni.de] — a good idea
- Bonne journée! [bɔn ʒuʁ.ne] — Have a good day!
Mauvais / Mauvaise (Bad)
- un mauvais film [œ̃ mo.vɛ film] — a bad movie
- Il fait mauvais. [il fɛ mo.vɛ] — The weather is bad.
- une mauvaise idée [yn mo.vɛ.zi.de] — a bad idea
“Des” → “De” Before the Adjective
When a plural adjective comes before the noun, the indefinite article des changes to de (or d’ before a vowel sound):
- de bons restaurants [də bɔ̃ ʁɛs.to.ʁɑ̃] — good restaurants (not des bons)
- de petits enfants [də pə.ti.zɑ̃.fɑ̃] — small children
- de grandes villes [də ɡʁɑ̃d vil] — big cities
- d’excellents résultats [dɛk.sɛ.lɑ̃ ʁe.zyl.ta] — excellent results
This rule applies only when the adjective is before the noun. After the noun, des stays the same: des livres intéressants [de livʁ ɛ̃.te.ʁɛ.sɑ̃].
Practice Sentences
- C’est une très bonne idée! [sɛ.tyn tʁɛ bɔ.ni.de] — That’s a very good idea!
- Ma petite sœur a cinq ans. [ma pə.tit sœʁ a sɛ̃.kɑ̃] — My little sister is five years old.
- Paris est une grande ville. [pa.ʁi ɛ.tyn ɡʁɑ̃d vil] — Paris is a big city.
- Il fait mauvais aujourd’hui. [il fɛ mo.vɛ o.ʒuʁ.dɥi] — The weather is bad today.
- C’est un bon restaurant. [sɛ.tœ̃ bɔ̃ ʁɛs.to.ʁɑ̃] — It’s a good restaurant.
Exercise: Fill in the Correct Form
- une _______ maison (grand)
- un _______ gâteau (bon)
- une _______ nouvelle (mauvais)
- de _______ enfants (petit)
- de _______ restaurants (bon)
Answers
- grande [ɡʁɑ̃d]
- bon [bɔ̃]
- mauvaise [mo.vɛz]
- petits [pə.ti] — de petits enfants (not des)
- bons [bɔ̃] — de bons restaurants (not des)