Irregular feminine adjectives (-euse, -ve)

Irregular feminine adjectives: -eux and -f

Most French adjectives just add an -e to become feminine. However, some endings change entirely:

  • Masculine -eux changes to -euse (sérieuxsérieuse).
He is serious, but she is always happy.
Il est sérieux, mais elle est toujours heureuse.
Which colleague is generous and serious?
Quelle collègue est généreuse et sérieuse ?
  • Masculine -f changes to -ve (actifactive).
The team did not win, but it remains positive.
L'équipe n'a pas gagné, mais elle reste positive.
She is always attentive and very creative.
Elle est toujours attentive et très créative.

You will often see these patterns used together to describe people and things:

My brother is active, but my sister is lazy.
Mon frère est actif, mais ma sœur est paresseuse.
My sister is athletic and happy.
Ma sœur est sportive et heureuse.

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