There are quite a few rules when it comes to adjectives in French. But did you know that French adjectives also function differently? Just as in English, they can refer directly to a noun or serve as a predicative of the subject.
French
English
La fille semble grande.
The girl seems tall.
Predicative Adjectives
In French, there are two types of adjectives: les adjectifs épithètes and les adjectifs attributs. The latter ones are called predicative adjectives in English.
Rule 1: The predicative adjective is connected to the noun through a stative verb. Usually, the verb être is used. In this case, the adjective is placed after the conjugated verb.
French
English
La maison est petite.
The house is small.
Stative Verbs
Rule 2: There are several stative verbs in French - all of them can be used with predicative adjectives.
| être | to be |
| paraître | to seem |
| sembler | to seem |
| devenir | to become |
| demeurer | to remain |
| rester | to stay |
| avoir l’air | to look like |
| passer pour | pass for |
| être | to be |
| paraître | to seem |
| sembler | to seem |
| devenir | to become |
| demeurer | to remain |
| rester | to stay |
| avoir l’air | to look like |
| passer pour | pass for |