Learn Hardcore French: Son oreiller est trop mou; elle veut un oreiller plus ferme. - Her pillow is too soft; she wants a firmer pillow.

French possessive adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun possessed, not with the owner. Because oreiller is masculine singular, you must use son, whether it’s “his” or “her.” Examples:

her blanket = sa couverture (blanket is feminine)
her pillows = ses oreillers (plural) Note: You also use son before a feminine noun starting with a vowel sound to ease pronunciation (e.g., son amie “her (female) friend”), but here oreiller is masculine anyway.

What gender is oreiller, and what’s the plural?

Oreiller is masculine: un oreiller / l’oreiller / mon oreiller. The plural is des oreillers. Don’t confuse it with oreille (ear), which is feminine: une oreille.

What’s the difference between oreiller and coussin?

Oreiller: a bed pillow you sleep on (for your head).
Coussin: a cushion/throw pillow (sofa, chair, decor). There’s also un traversin (a cylindrical bolster).

What exactly does mou mean? How is it different from doux or moelleux?

mou: soft in the sense of limp/floppy, lacking firmness (often negative: “too squishy”).
doux/douce: soft/gentle to the touch (a soft fabric, a gentle voice).
moelleux/moelleuse: soft, spongy, cushiony (pleasantly plush). Opposites:
ferme: firm/supportive (good for mattresses/pillows).
dur: hard (rigid; can sound uncomfortable).

How do the adjective forms of mou work?

It’s irregular:

masculine singular: mou
feminine singular: molle
masculine plural: mous
feminine plural: molles Example: des oreillers mous, une chaise molle. By contrast, ferme only changes for number: ferme/fermes (same form for masculine/feminine).

Why does ferme come after oreiller?

Most adjectives in French follow the noun: un oreiller ferme. A small set (e.g., beau, grand, petit, bon, nouveau) typically come before the noun, but ferme is not one of them.

How does the comparative in un oreiller plus ferme work? Could I add “than …”?

For adjectives, French uses: plus/moins/aussi + adjective (+ que …).

un oreiller plus ferme (que celui-ci) = a firmer pillow (than this one). The “than …” part (que …) is optional when context makes the comparison clear. Use plus de only with nouns (e.g., plus de temps = more time), not with adjectives.

Is there a more natural way to avoid repeating oreiller?

Yes. Use the pronoun en and a substitute un:

Elle en veut un plus ferme. = She wants a firmer one (of them). Here, en replaces “of pillows,” and un stands in for “a pillow.”

What’s the difference between trop and très in trop mou?

trop = too (excessive): trop mou = too soft/too floppy.
très = very (high degree but not excessive): très mou = very soft. With nouns, use trop de: trop de mousse (too much foam).

How is plus pronounced in plus ferme?

When plus means “more” and is followed by a consonant, the final -s is usually silent: roughly “plü” (with the French u sound). Before a vowel sound, you may hear liaison: plus utile → “plüz utile.” In negative “no longer” (ne … plus), many speakers pronounce the -s, but usage varies.

How do you pronounce oreiller, trop mou, and the liaison here?

oreiller: roughly “oh-reh-yay” (the -ll gives a y sound; final -r is pronounced lightly in French).
trop mou: the -p in trop is silent before a consonant; “tro moo.”
plus ferme: usually no sounded final -s in plus here; “plü fairm.” No special liaison is required in this sentence.

Could I use a different connector instead of the semicolon?

Yes. A period is fine: Son oreiller est trop mou. Elle veut... You can also use:

alors/donc (so): ... est trop mou, alors/donc elle veut...
du coup (colloquial “so/as a result”)
car or parce que for “because,” if you flip the logic.

Why is it elle veut? Is there a more polite version?

Elle veut is the present of vouloir (to want). Key forms:

je veux, tu veux, il/elle veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils/elles veulent. More polite/softer: Elle voudrait (she would like). You could also say Elle aimerait avoir un oreiller plus ferme.

Is son here definitely “her,” not “his”?

By itself, son could mean “his” or “her.” The context (the next clause uses elle) tells us we’re speaking about a woman, so “her pillow.” Without context, son oreiller is ambiguous.