When multiple adjectives qualify a noun in French, their order can influence the clarity and aesthetics of the sentence. Although there is no absolute rule applicable in all contexts, some general tendencies help determine the most natural position for each adjective.
General Rules
Adjectives expressing an opinion or subjective judgment tend to be placed before the noun, while those describing color, shape, nationality, or other objective characteristics are often placed after the noun.
Examples
- Une belle grande robe bleue : "belle" (opinion) is placed before "grande" (size) and "bleue" (color).
- Un petit sac rond en cuir : "petit" (size) precedes "rond" (shape) and "en cuir" (material).
- Une vieille voiture française rouge : "vieille" (age) comes before "française" (nationality) and "rouge" (color).
Tips for Adjective Order
If you're unsure about the order of adjectives, here's a simplified guide:
- Opinion or subjective quality (beau, mauvais, joli...)
- Size (petit, grand, long...)
- Age (jeune, vieux, neuf...)
- Shape (rond, carré, plat...)
- Color (bleu, vert, jaune...)
- Origin (français, italien, chinois...)
- Material (en bois, en métal, en coton...)
Examples:
- Un beau petit cadeau
- Une grande poupée française en bois
- Un joli mais vieux t-shirt vert italien en coton
- Un grand plat carré en bois