08/01/2017, 19:39
mint
Joined on 05/08/2006
Périgord
Posts 15,850
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Re: Position of adjectives
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 EuroTrash wrote: | | When you put an adjective in front of a noun, that would usually follow the noun, the effect is to emphasise the adjective. So the club is specifically for INCORRIGIBLE optimists. It's the incorrigibleness of them that's interesting, not their optimism.
It's a subtlety that you have to get used to really, by seeing it done. An "affreux événement" is somehow more shockingly awful than an "événement affreux".
IMHO. |
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Not only that, ET, there is also the fact that incorigibles is a long word. Usually, the adjectives that are placed in front of nouns are short; bon, vieux, neuf, etc. The "long" ones, with several syllables, intelligent, international, etc tend to be the ones put behind the nouns.
So, your explanation seems to be excellent. The adjective here takes centre place![Idea [I]](/forums/completefrance-forums/cs/emoticons/emotion-55.gif) Thank you, ET, and thank you Al for asking the question.
N'allez pas trop vite - Proust
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10/01/2017, 14:50
NormanH
Joined on 10/04/2008
Posts 10,308
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Re: Position of adjectives
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This is quite a good article:
http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/adjectives_4.htm
Placement after the noun
Most descriptive adjectives
are placed after the noun they modify. These normally have an
analytical meaning, in that they classify the noun into a certain
category. These types of adjectives include shape, color, taste, nationality, religion, social class, and other adjectives that describe things like personality and mood.
Placement before the noun
Certain adjectives are placed before the noun, some which you can memorize with the acronym "BAGS":
Beauty
Age
Good and bad
Size (except for grand with people - see 3, below)
These descriptors - and a few others - are considered inherent qualities of the noun:
une jolie fille - pretty girl
un jeune homme - young man
une nouvelle maison - new house
un bon enfant - good child
un petit problème - small problem
les sincères condoléances - sincere condolences
les vagues promesses - vague promises
. Placement depends on meaning
Some
adjectives have both a figurative and an analytic (literal) sense and
can thus be placed on either side of the noun. When the adjective is
figurative, it goes before the noun, and when it's analytic, it goes
after the noun.
Figurative: mes vertes années my green (fruitful) years
Literal: des légumes verts green vegetables
Figurative: un grand homme a great man
Literal: un homme grand a tall man
Figurative: un triste individu a sad (mean or bad) person
Literal: un individu triste a sad (crying) person
Figurative: mon ancienne école my old (former) school
Literal: mon école ancienne my old (aged) school
Figurative: un certain regard a certain (type of) look
Literal: une victoire certaine a certain (assured) victory
The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible.
- Bertrand Russell
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