Question 1

Why is it de grands secrets instead of des grands secrets?

Accepted Answer

Normally, the plural indefinite article meaning "some" is des. But there is a special rule in French: when a plural adjective comes before the noun it describes, des shrinks to de. Since the adjective grands comes before the noun secrets, we must use de.

Question 2

Does de mean "of" or "from" in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Not here! While de is a very common preposition meaning "of" or "from", in this sentence it acts purely as a plural article. It just shows that the noun is plural, similar to "some" in English. The sentence translates to "They share great secrets", not "They share of great secrets".

Question 3

I thought French adjectives usually go after the noun. Why is grands placed before secrets?

Accepted Answer

You are right that most adjectives follow the noun. However, short, common adjectives describing Beauty, Age, Goodness, and Size (often remembered as the BAGS rule) go before the noun. Because grands fits into this category, it comes before secrets.

Question 4

If I used a different adjective that goes after the noun, would I still use de?

Accepted Answer

No, the change from des to de only happens when the adjective is placed in front of the plural noun. If you used an adjective that goes after the noun, you would revert to des. For example, to say "They share terrible secrets", you would say Ils partagent des secrets terribles.

Ils partagent de grands secrets.

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