Where do I position adjectives in French?

Adjective positioning can be a tricky topic. Unlike in English, in the French language, adjectives are placed behind the noun they are describing.

-La maison blanche = the white house -Les enfants heureux = the happy children -Un livre français = a French book

However, some adjectives do not follow this rule. Instead, they are placed in front of the noun. We can remember these exceptional adjectives through the acronym BAGS:

B stands for Beauty = Beau / Joli A stands for Age = Vieux / Jeune / Nouveau G stands for Good = Bon / Mauvais / Meilleur S stands for Size = Petit / Haut / Gros

-Une petite fille -Un vieux chateau -Un gros chien

To recap what we have learnt so far, the majority of adjectives follow the noun in French. Certain adjectives are exceptions and are positioned in front of the noun.

Finally, we must discuss another set of adjectives that differ from the standard rule. There are a group of adjectives that can be placed both in front of and behind the noun. The meaning of these adjective changes depending on its position to the noun.

Ancien
un ancien prof = a former teacher une maison ancienne = an old house

Cher un cher ami = a dear friend un repas cher = an expensive meal

Dernier son dernier livre = his latest book l'année dernière= last year

Drôle une drôle histoire = an odd story une histoire drôle = a funny story

Grand un grand pays = a great country une femme grande = a tall woman

Gros un gros chien = a big dog un chat gros = a fat cat

Pauvre un pauvre homme = a pitiful man un homme pauvre = a poor man (money)

Propre mon propre lit = my own bed ma chambre propre = my clean room

Seul la seule chose = the only thing … l’homme seul = the lonely man

Unfortunately, there is no acronym to help us remember these adjectives! Perhaps you could make your own?