Learn French: Ce vieil édifice est un hôtel luxueux. - This old building is a luxurious hotel.

The masculine adjective vieux changes to vieil when it comes directly before a singular noun starting with a vowel or a mute H. Since édifice starts with a vowel, we use vieil to make the pronunciation smoother.

Since édifice starts with a vowel, why is the demonstrative adjective ce instead of cet?

The choice between ce and cet depends strictly on the word immediately following it. Because the adjective vieil sits between the demonstrative and the noun, and vieil starts with a consonant, we use the standard masculine ce. Without the adjective, it would be cet édifice.

Why is vieil placed before the noun, while luxueux comes after?

Most French adjectives, like luxueux, follow the noun they modify. However, short, common adjectives that describe Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness, or Size (often remembered by the acronym BANGS) go before the noun. Because vieux / vieil describes age, it precedes édifice.

How does the pronunciation work between vieil and édifice?

The purpose of the special form vieil is to allow a smooth phonetic link, or liaison. You pronounce the final L, connecting it directly to the vowel sound of the noun, avoiding the clash of two vowel sounds.