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FRENCH adjectives: nouvelle ou nouveau?
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Nouveau / nouveaux / nouvel / nouvelle / nouvelles and Neuf / neufs / neuve / neuves are qualifying adjectives. The qualifying adjective characterizes the element (it is often a noun) of the sentence to which it is attached. He qualifies the state of the noun to which he is attached.
Nouveau / nouveaux / nouvel / Neuf are masculines adjectives.
Nouvelle / Neuve are feminines adjectives.
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Singular | Plural | |
Masculine | Nouveau / nouvel | Nouveaux |
Neuf | Neufs | |
Feminine | Nouvelle | Nouvelles |
Neuve | Neuves |
Nouveau
The word nouveau means “who has just appeared, to be created”, “who replaces, succeeds or adds to something”, “different from before”
- Usually it takes place before a singular-masculine noun
- The opposite of nouveau is ancien
Examples:
-Notre nouveau directeur est très dynamique. → Our new director is very dynamic.
nouveau is placed before the noun directeur
-Mon nouveau professeur est un peu vieux. → My new teacher is a little old.
-Cette société pharmaceutique lance un nouveau médicament. → This pharmaceutical company is launching a new drug.
-Caroline et Martin veulent à s’établir dans ce nouveau quartier. → Caroline and Martin want to settle in this new neighborhood.
Nouveaux
- It takes place before a plural-masculine noun
When the noun is plural we make adjective nouveau agree with the noun, so we add an “x“: nouveaux.
Examples:
-Les nouveaux mariés s’enlacent sur le parvis. →The newlyweds are embracing on the forecourt.
-Est-ce que tu as de nouveaux outils ? → Do you have new tools ?
-Les nouveaux tabourets sont dans la cuisine. → The new stools are in the kitchen.
-Les enfants ont de nouveaux jouets. → Children have new toys.
Nouvel
- When it takes place before a sinugular-masculine noun starting with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, y) or a mute h, we write nouvel.
Examples:
-Un nouvel élève.→A new student.
-Un nouvel hôpital.→A new hospital.
-Voici mon nouvel habit. →Here is my new coat.
-J’aime mon nouvel appartement. →I like my new apartment.
Nouvelle
- In general, it takes place before a singular-feminine noun
When the noun is plural we make adjective nouvelle agree with the noun, we add an “s“: nouvelles.
Examples:
-Stéphane a une nouvelle moto. → Stéphane has a new motorbike.
-Ils ont acheté une nouvelle voiture.→ They bought a new car.
-Ce cinéaste arrive toujours à nous surprendre par des techniques nouvelles. → This filmmaker always manages to surprise us with new techniques.
-J’ai installé les nouvelles étagères. → I installed the new shelves.
Neuf
The word neuf means, when speaking of a tangible thing : “which has recently come into existence”, “recently fabricated”, “which has never or only rarely served”, or, speaking of an abstract thing : “which has not yet been said”
- It takes place after a singular-masculine noun
- The opposite of neuf is vieux
Examples:
-Ce livre est neuf, Je viens de l’acheter. → This book is new, I just bought it.
-C’est un bateau neuf. → It’s a new boat.
neuf is placed after the noun bateau
-Le canapé qu’elles ont acheté est neuf. → The sofa they bought is new.
-J’ai acheté un lit neuf. → I bought a new bed.
Neuve
- It takes place after a singular-feminine noun
The feminine of neuf is neuve.
Examples:
-Laura portait ce soir une magnifique robe neuve. → Laura wore a beautiful new dress tonight.
-Ils ont décidé d’acheter une maison neuve. → They decided to buy a new house.
-Ce roman aborde le thème de l’identité d’une façon tout à fait neuve. → This novel addresses the theme of identity in a completely new way.
-Je préfère acheter une voiture neuve. → I prefer to buy a new car.
Conclusion
In short, the adjective nouveau refers to either what has just been created, or what replaces someone or something, and the adjective neuf refers to what has been little or not used.
Examples:
-Marie a acheté une nouvelle robe (acquise récemment). Elle voulait acheter une robe neuve (jamais utilisée), mais elle a finalement choisi une robe d’occasion.
Marie bought a new dress (recently acquired). She wanted to buy a new dress (never used), but she finally chose a used dress.
-J’ai acheté le nouveau roman de Jacques Poulin, paru cet automne.
I bought Jacques Poulin’s new novel, published this fall.
-Mon grand-père a chez lui un exemplaire neuf de La métamorphose de Kafka, paru en 1915.
My grandfather has a new copy La Metamorphose of Kafka, published in 1915.
Luc a acheté une nouvelle voiture. Il voulait acheter une voiture neuve, mais il a finalement opté pour une voiture d’occasion.
Luc bought a new car. He wanted to buy a new car, but he finally opted for a used car.
-J’ai acheté le nouveau roman de Jacques Poulin, paru cet automne.
I bought Jacques Poulin’s new novel, published this fall.
-Mon grand-père a chez lui un exemplaire neuf de La métamorphose de Kafka, paru en 1915.
My grandfather has a new copy La Metamorphose of Kafka, published in 1915. Examples :
-Marie a acheté une nouvelle robe (acquise récemment). Elle voulait acheter une robe neuve (jamais utilisée), mais elle a finalement choisi une robe d’occasion.
Marie bought a new dress (recently acquired). She wanted to buy a new dress (never used), but she finally chose a used dress.
-J’ai acheté le nouveau roman de Jacques Poulin, paru cet automne.
I bought Jacques Poulin’s new novel, published this fall.
-Mon grand-père a chez lui un exemplaire neuf de La métamorphose de Kafka, paru en 1915.
My grandfather has a new copy La Metamorphose of Kafka, published in 1915.
-Luc a acheté une nouvelle voiture. Il voulait acheter une voiture neuve, mais il a finalement opté pour une voiture d’occasion.
Luc bought a new car. He wanted to buy a new car, but he finally opted for a used car.
-J’ai acheté le nouveau roman de Jacques Poulin, paru cet automne.
I bought Jacques Poulin’s new novel, published this fall.
-Mon grand-père a chez lui un exemplaire neuf de La métamorphose de Kafka, paru en 1915.
My grandfather has a new copy La Metamorphose of Kafka, published in 1915.
Exercises + Answers
Choose the right word: Nouveau / nouveaux / nouvel / nouvelle and Neuf / neufs /neuve / neuves
1- Je vous présente Léo, mon…………………………………………………………………………….………ami. I introduce you Leo, my new friend. 2- Tu veux acheter une…………………………………….………….voiture, ou une voiture d’occasion ? Do you want to buy a new car, or a used car ? 3- Nos…………………………………………………………………………….voisins sont très sympathiques. Our new neighbors are very friendly. 4- Catherine parle quatre langues et pense à en apprendre une……………………………….………. Catherine speaks four languages and thinks to learn a new one. 5- Je viens d’acheter ce pull. Il est tout…………………………………..…. I just bought this sweater. He is new. 6- Claude a amené ses chaussures chez le cordonnier, maintenant elles sont comme………… Claude brought his shoes to the shoemaker, now they are like new. 7- Nous venons d’emménager dans notre……………………………………………………………maison. We have just moved into our new home. 8- Le parquet est encore……………………………………..………., il n’y a pas une rayure sur le sol ! The parquet is still new, there is not a scratch on the floor! 9- Nous avons acheté un………………………………………………………..………canapé pour le salon. We bought a new sofa for the living room. 10- Les lampes, elles aussi, sont…………………………………………………………………………..………. The lamps, too, are new. 11- Ce soir, nous avons invité nos……………………………………………………….…….voisins à dîner. Tonight we invited our new neighbors to dinner. 12- Viens voir ma…………………………………………………………………………………….……….voiture. Come to see my new car. 13- Ce quartier se développe. Il faut un…………………………………………………………..……lycée. This neighborhood is growing. We need a new high school. 14- La salle de bains a été refaite à……………………………………………………………………………… The bathroom has been redone. 15- J’ai mis une pile……………………………………………………….…….dans mon appareil photo. I put a new battery in my camera. 16- Il est content de son……………………………………………………………….………….ordinateur. He is happy with his new computer. 17- Dans les années 60, on a créé des…………………………………………………………….…villes. In the 1960s, new cities were created. 18- Il a décidé d’acheter une voiture………………………………., pas une voiture d’occasion. He decided to buy a new car, not a used car. 19- C’est un vêtement…………………………………………………………………………………….……… It’s a new garment. 20- Il a écrit un…………………………………………………………………………………..……..roman. He wrote a new novel. Answers 1- nouvel 2- nouvelle 3- nouveaux 4- nouvelle 5- neuf 6- neuve 7- nouvelle 8- neuf 9- nouveau 10- neuves 11- nouveaux 12- nouvelle 13- nouveau 14- neuf 15- neuve 16- nouvel 17- nouvelles 18- neuve 19-neuf 20- nouveau+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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To continue to improve your French, have a look at:
🇫🇷 The French Adjective NOUVEAUX 👍 🇫🇷
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To continue to improve your FRENCH, have a look at:
🇫🇷 The French Adjective NOUVEL 🤙 🇫🇷
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Thomas Ricomard, your FRENCH teacher 🙂