CARROTTA
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🔤 Compendium
Grammar
FR
Français — Adjective position
In French most adjectives come after the noun, but a small group of short, frequent adjectives goes before it. This front group is often remembered as BAGS: Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size — for example beau, jeune, bon, grand.
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How it works
✓ Rule
By default the adjective follows the noun, especially colours, nationalities and longer adjectives: une voiture rouge, un livre français, un film intéressant. The short BAGS adjectives instead go before it: un beau jardin, une petite maison, un bon café.
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Examples
| Adjective | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|
| beau | before (beauty) | un beau jardin |
| jeune | before (age) | un jeune homme |
| bon | before (goodness) | un bon café |
| grand | before (size) | une grande maison |
| petit | before (size) | un petit chien |
| rouge | after (colour) | une voiture rouge |
| français | after (nationality) | un livre français |
| intéressant | after (long adjective) | un film intéressant |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
A few adjectives change meaning with position: un grand homme is 'a great man' but un homme grand is 'a tall man'; un ancien professeur is 'a former teacher' but un livre ancien is 'an old book'. So placement is not always free — with these words it carries meaning.