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

2408 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Do you think online teaching will ever replace real schools?


When do I use être in the perfect tense?


Comment avez-vous passé le week-end dèrnier?


Please could you explain to me when past participles must agree when using the passé composé? (NB in my experience, this was an issue for A-Level students of French too)


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:

© 2026 by IXL Learning