-s (pluriel des adjectifs)

Regular Plural Agreement with -s

Level 1

In French, adjectives must match the number of the noun they describe. To make most adjectives plural, simply add an -s to the singular form.

How It Works

Unlike English, where adjectives never change (e.g., 'big dog' and 'big dogs'), French adjectives must agree with the noun they modify.

1. The Basic Rule
For the vast majority of adjectives, you form the plural by adding a silent -s to the singular form:

  • Masculine: grand → grands
  • Feminine: To form the feminine plural, first make the adjective feminine by adding an -e, then add the -s: grande → grandes.

2. Pronunciation and Liaison
In most cases, the final -s is not pronounced. However, if the adjective comes before a noun starting with a vowel or a mute 'h', the -s is pronounced as a [z] sound. This is called liaison.
Example: de grands amis (pronounced 'gran-z-ami').

3. Exceptions to the Rule
Not every adjective takes an -s. You should be aware of these common cases:

  • Adjectives already ending in -s or -x in the singular do not change (e.g., gris stays gris).
  • Adjectives ending in -al usually change to -aux (e.g., national → nationaux). Note that some adjectives like final can take either -s or -aux (finals or finaux), while banal usually takes -s.
  • Adjectives ending in -eau or -eu take an -x (e.g., nouveau → nouveaux). Note that bleu is an exception and takes a regular -s (bleus).
  • Colors derived from nouns, like marron or orange, are usually invariable. However, rose, mauve, and pourpre are exceptions and do take an -s.
  • Compound colors (like bleu clair) never take an -s.

Examples (4)

  1. Les petits chats dorment.

    The little cats are sleeping.

    Word by Word: The little cats sleep.

    The adjective 'petit' adds an -s to agree with the masculine plural noun 'chats'.

  2. Elles sont très contentes.

    They are very happy.

    Word by Word: They are very happy.

    The adjective 'contente' (feminine singular) adds an -s to agree with the feminine plural subject 'elles'.

  3. J'ai des livres intéressants.

    I have some interesting books.

    Word by Word: I have some books interesting.

    Even though 'intéressants' follows the noun, it must still take an -s to match the plural 'livres'.

  4. Ce sont de grands arbres.

    These are tall trees.

    Word by Word: These are of tall trees.

    In 'grands arbres', the -s is pronounced as a [z] because of liaison with the following vowel.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -s to adjectives that already end in -s or -x.

    des garçons heureuxs
    des garçons heureux

    If an adjective already ends in -s or -x in its singular form, it does not change in the plural.

  • Confusing the plural adjective ending (-s) with the plural verb ending (-ent).

    Ils sont contentsent.
    Ils sont contents.

    Adjectives take -s to become plural, while verbs take -ent. Never add -ent to an adjective.

  • Forgetting the -s in writing because it is silent in speech.

    les voiture noir
    les voitures noires

    Even if you don't hear the plural marker, you must write it to ensure grammatical agreement.

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-s (pluriel des adjectifs)Level 1Regular Plural Agreement with -s

Learn This First

To learn regular plural adjectives, you must first understand the general rule of adjective agreement. You also need to be familiar with the standard plural marker '-s' used for nouns and how to form feminine adjectives, as the plural marker is added to both masculine and feminine base forms.

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Words in This Pattern

-s