Un 2.4
Adjectives of Origin
Adjectives can be used to describe a noun’s origins. Although not all of these adjectives are based on nations, they are traditionally categorized as adjectives of nationality.
Adjectives of Origin – Les adjectifs d’origine
Just like all adjectives in French, grammatically correct usage depends on three aspects:
1) grammatical gender (of the noun)
Is the noun’s grammatical gender masculine or feminine?
2) grammatical number (of the noun)
Is the noun in the singular or the plural?
3) placement (of the adjective)
Is this adjective normally used before or after nouns?
Adjectives of origin are placed after their corresponding noun. Thus, it’s important to focus on the grammatical gender and grammatical number of an adjective’s noun. In French, these types of adjectives are not capitalized when used with a noun.
e.g.
|
C’est un infirmier français. |
This is a French nurse. |
|
C’est une infirmière française. |
This is a French nurse. |
|
Ce sont des infirmiers français. |
These are French nurses. |
|
Ce sont des infirmières françaises. |
These are French nurses. |
Many adjectives of origin fall into groups with similar declension patterns, based on their similar endings.
e.g.
|
un avocat albertain |
an Albertan lawyer |
|
une avocate américaine |
an American lawyer |
|
des avocats marocains |
Moroccan lawyers |
|
des avocates mexicaines |
Mexican lawyers |
|
un enseignant japonais |
a Japanese teacher |
|
une enseignante québécoise |
a Québécois teacher |
|
des enseignants portugais |
Portuguese teachers |
|
des enseignantes congolaises |
Congolese teachers |
|
un ingénieur autrichien |
an Austrian engineer |
|
une ingénieure coréenne |
a Korean engineer |
|
des ingénieurs brésiliens |
Brazilian engineers |
|
des ingénieures australiennes |
Australian engineers |
As with many words in French, these changes in endings can result in a change in pronunciation, particularly when an ‘e’ is added. These changes need to be shown in both written and spoken French.
e.g.
|
canadien /ka.na.djɛ̃/ |
canadiens /ka.na.djɛ̃/ |
|
canadienne /ka.na.djɛn/ |
canadiennes /ka.na.djɛn]/ |
|
allemand \al.mɑ̃\ |
allemands \al.mɑ̃\ |
|
allemande \al.mɑ̃d\ |
allemandes \al.mɑ̃d\ |
Uses without a noun – Les usages sans nom
Adjectives of origin can also be used without a noun, typically to indicate a person or a group of people in terms of their origin. In these cases, the adjective is capitalized. Grammatical gender and grammatical number still need to be considered.
e.g.
|
C’est un Camerounais. |
It’s a Cameroonian man. / He’s Cameroonian. |
|
La Française est là. |
The French woman is here. |
|
Ce sont des Suisses. |
These are Swiss people. / They’re Swiss. |
|
Il y a des Argentines dans la classe. |
There are Argentinian women in the class. |
When an adjective of origin is used to refer to a language or to refer to a subject with a verb like ‘être’, the adjective is not capitalized. The masculine singular form of these adjectives is commonly used to refer to languages, unless the actual word for language (‘langue’) is used alongside the adjective, as this noun is grammatically feminine.
e.g.
|
Le pompier est japonais. |
The firefighter is Japanese. |
|
C’est la langue française. |
This is the French language. |
|
Les Canadiens parlent anglais et français ? |
Do Canadians speak English and French? |
|
Elles sont espagnoles. |
They are Spanish (women). |
