Where do adjectives go in French? (Word order)

In French, adjectives usually go after the noun, which is the opposite to English word order.For example, we say ‘un homme gentil’, with the adjective coming last. Let’s see an example in a sentence: ‘I like independent shops’ becomes ‘J’aime des magasins indépendants’.
However, as always, there are unfortunately some exceptions to this rule. Luckily for us, they’re summarised in a handy acronym: BANGS. This stands for beauty, age, number, goodness and size. So adjectives such as beau, jeune, deux, bon and grand actually come before the noun such as ‘la grande pizza’.

AC
Answered by Aimee C. French tutor

2280 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How do we form the pluperfect tense?


When do you use avoir and when do you use être in the past tense?


Can you give some vocabulary for the Family theme?


What is the difference between the COI and COD in French?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning