The first group of adjectives in French that most students learn is called BANGS adjectives. BANGS is an acronym that stands for Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness and Size. The key thing to understand about these adjectives is that they must come before the noun they modify.
As we learned, most French adjectives are placed after the word being described in the sentence. However, there are several exceptions to this rule. These adjectives, understood by the acronym BANGS, are placed before the word being described (as one would do in English).
| BANGS | Adjective Examples Masc. / Fem. | Example Sentence | Translation |
| Beauty | beau/belle joli/jolie | La jolie fille s’appelle Ana. | The pretty girl is named Ana. |
| Age | nouveau/nouvelle vieux/vieille jeune | La vieille voiture est rouge. | The old car is red. |
| Number | un, deux, trois…. premier/première plusieurs | Il y a plusieurs problèmes au bureau. | There are several problems in the office. |
| Goodness | bon/bonne mauvais/mauvaise | Il donne de l’argent aux pauvres – c’est une bonne personne. | He gives money to the poor – he is a good person. |
| Size | grand/grande petit/petite long/longue | Le grand homme joue au basket. | The tall man plays basketball. |
BANGS adjectives before a vowel
There are some adjectives that have a special masculine singular form when they are placed before a masculine noun that begins with a vowel or a silent h. In these instances, these adjectives have a unique spelling. Examples of these adjectives are beau, nouveau, and vieux.
Un bel appartement A beautiful apartment
Un nouvel hôpital A new hospital
Un vieil homme An old man
What is the word order with French adjectives? In French, the main rule regarding the position of adjectives is that they usually come AFTER the noun, but as always in French, there are exceptions! For example, there is a small group of common adjectives whose meaning changes depending on whether they come before the noun or go after it, such as ancien (un ancien élève = a former student, un bâtiment ancien = an old building) and cher (mon cher ami = my dear friend, un repas cher = an expensive meal).