Il est assez sot pour le croire.
Plus il devint riche moins il fut
généreux.

Que vous êtes aimable!

He is silly enough to believe it.
The richer he became the less
generous was he.
How kind you are!

351. Attributive Adjectives. When used literally, to define, distinguish, specify, emphasize, etc., they usually follow; but when used figuratively, or as a merely ornamental epithet, or denoting a quality viewed as essential to the object, or when forming, as it were, one idea with the noun, they usually precede :

Une rue étroite; une étroite a-
mitié.

Un roi savant; le savant auteur.
Le fameux Pitt; un rusé coquin.

A narrow street; an intimate
friendship.

A learned king; the learned author.
The famous Pitt; a cunning rogue.

a. The following, of very common use, generally precede :

352. Special Rules for Attributives. 1. Certain adjectives serve regularly to define, distinguish, etc., and hence regularly follow; such are:

(1) Adjectives of physical quality:

Une table carrée ; une pierre dure; A square table; a hard stone; cold de l'eau froide (chaude); de l'encre noire; une sauce piquante.

(hot) water; black ink; a piquant

sauce.

sometimes precede : Dark sorrows; a green old age; the blue sky of Italy.

a. By the general rule (§351) they De noirs chagrins ; une verte vieillesse; le bleu ciel d'Italie. (2) Adjectives of nationality, those from proper names: La loi anglaise; un prêtre catholique; une splendeur royale; le latin cicéronien.

religion, profession, title, and

The English law; a Catholic priest; royal splendour; Ciceronian Latin.

(3) Participles used as adjectives:

Une étoile filante; un homme in- A shooting star; an educated man;

struit; une porte ouverte.

an open door.

a. By the general rule (§351) they sometimes precede :

Une éclatante victoire.

A signal victory.

b. Past participial forms which have become real adjectives, e.g., prétendu, absolu, parfait, dissolu, feint, rusé, etc., very often precede (prétendu nearly always):

Une feinte modestie.

Le prétendu comte.

Feigned modesty.
The would-be count.

2. Adjectives sometimes follow the noun on account of their adjuncts or their function; thus :

(1) When modified by an adverb, other than aussi, si, très, bien, fort, plus, moins, assez :

Un discours extrêmement long.
But: Un très long discours.

An extremely long speech.
A very long speech.

(2) When modified by an adverbial phrase, or in comparisons:

3. Two or more adjectives, with one noun, follow, in general, the rules stated, but, if joined by a conjunction, they all follow, in case one is such as must follow:

Une jolie petite fille.

Une belle maison blanche.

Un objet blanc et étincelant.

Une dame belle et savante.

A pretty little girl.

A beautiful white house.

A white and dazzling object.
A beautiful and learned lady.

a. The more specific of two or more adjectives which follow comes last, contrary to English usage:

Des écrivains français habiles.

Clever French writers.

4. A considerable number of adjectives differ more or less widely in meaning, according as they precede or follow:

Mon cher enfant; une robe chère. My dear child; a costly dress.
Une franche coquette; une femme
franche.

A

thorough coquette; a plainspoken woman.

NOTE.-Distinctions of this kind depend, in the main, upon the general principles laid down above, but they are too numerous and too subtle to be given in detail here Observation, and the use of a good dictionary will, in time, make the learner familiar with the most important of them.

353. Determinatives. Such adjectives, including numerals, possessives, demonstratives, indefinites, precede⚫

Trois plumes; mes plumes.

Ces plumes-ci; d'autres plumes.

Three pens; my pens.
These pens; other pens.

PREPOSITIONAL COMPLEMENT OF ADJECTIVES.

354. An adjective is often followed by a complement connected with it by a preposition, such as à, de, en, envers, The preposition to be used is determined by the meaning of the adjective, as explained in the following sections.

etc.

355. Adjective + à. The preposition à = 'to,' 'at,' 'for,' etc., is required after most adjectives denoting tendency, fitness, and their opposites, comparison, etc.

Cet homme est adonné à la boisson.
Il est favorable à mes projets.
Il est bien habile aux affaires.
Un homme supérieur à tous.
Ce n'est bon à rien.

Such adjectives are:
accoutumé, accustomed (to).
adroit, clever (at).
agréable, pleasant (to).
antérieur, anterior (to).
ardent, ardent (in).
bon, good, fit (for).

That man is addicted to drink.
He is favorable to my projects.
He is very clever in business.
A man superior to all.
That is good for nothing.

cher, dear (to).
convenable, suitable (to).
égal, equal (to).
exact, exact (in).
fidèle, faithful (in).
fort, clever (at).

harai, bold (in).
impropre, unɲt (for).
inférieur, inferior (to).
infidèle, unfaithful (to).
inutile, useless (to).
lent, slow (in).

a. Bon pour='good for,' 'beneficial to,' 'kind to.'

=

356. Adjective+de. The preposition de 'of,' 'from,' 'with,' etc., is required after most adjectives denoting source or origin (hence also, feeling, sentiment, abundance), separation (hence also, absence, distance, want, etc.), and after most past participles to denote the agent (cf. §240): Êtes-vous natif de Paris?

Ils sont contents de mon succès.
Elle est pleine de vanité.
Je suis libre de douleur.
Il est inconnu de tous.

Such adjectives are:

absent, absent (from). affligé, grieved (at).

aise, glad (of).

alarmé, alarmed (at).

ambitieux ambitious (of). avide, greedy (of).

béni, blessed (by). capable, capable (of). charmé, delighted (with). chéri, beloved (by). confus, confused (at). contrarié, vexed (with).

dénué, destitute (of).

dépourvu, devoid (of). désireux, desirous (of).

différent, different (from).

digne, worthy (of).

Are you a native of Paris?
They are pleased at my success.
She is full of vanity.
I am free from pain.
He is unknown to all.

éloigné, distant (from).
enchanté, delighted (with).
ennuyé, weary (of).
étonné, astonished (at).
exempt, free (from).
fâché, sorry (for).
fier, proud (of).
glorieux, proud (of).
hérissé, bristling (with).
heureux, glad (of).
honteux, ashamed (of).
ignorant, ignorant (of).
indigne, unworthy (of).
inquiet, uneasy (about).
ivre, intoxicated (with).
jaloux, jealous (of).
libre, free (from).

lourd, heavy (with).
malheureux, unhappy (at).
offensé, offended (at).
pauvre, poor (in).
plein, full (of).
ravi, delighted (with).
satisfait, satisfied (with).
soucieux, anxious (about).
souillé, soiled (with).
sûr, sure (of).

surpris, surprised (at).
triste, sad (at).
vain, vain (of).
vexé, vexed (at).

victorieux, victorious (over).
vide, empty (of).
etc.

a. Fâché contre = 'angry at or with (a person).'

357. Adjective + en.

En is required after a few adjec

tives denoting abundance, skill, etc. :

Le Canada est fertile en blé.
Il est expert en chirurgie.

Such adjectives are: abondant, abounding (in), fécond, fruitful (in).

Canada is fertile in wheat.
He is expert in surgery.

fort, strong (in), learned (in).
ignorant, ignorant (in).

riche, rich (in). savant, learned (in).

(Plur.) (Sing.)

a. fort and ignorant sometimes have sur :

Il est fort sur l'histoire.

Ignorant sur ces matières-là.

358. Adjective +envers.

He is well versed (good) in history.
Ignorant about those matters.

Envers is used after most

adjectives denoting disposition or feeling towards:

a. Bon, dur, very frequently take pour; indulgent may take pour or à; civil, sévère, may take à l'égard de :

N. je, I.
D. me, (to) me.

A. me, me.

2ND PER.
tu, thou.
te, (to) thee.
te, thee.

3RD PER. (m.).
il, he, it.

3RD PER. (f.). 3RD REF.(m.f.). elle, she, ic.

N. nous, we.
D. nous, (to) us.

A. nous, us.

vous, you.
vous, (to) you.
vous, you.