Module 5 of the free French course (CEFR A2 mastery + the B1 bridge), lesson 2 of 30: The describing system, whole: before-the-noun (grand, petit, beau, nouveau. On this page: 8 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 2.
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| grand | big / tall | grah(n) |
| petite | small (f) | puh-TEET |
| gentil | kind (m) | zhah(n)-TEE |
| heureuse | happy (f) | uh-RUHZ |
| sportif | sporty (m) | spor-TEEF |
| vieux | old (m) | vyuh |
| un peu | a little | uh(n) PUH |
| il a les yeux verts | he has green eyes | ee-lah lay zyuh VEHR |
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
The describing system, whole: before-the-noun (grand, petit, beau, nouveau, vieux) and after-the-noun (colors and most others), everything agreeing.
Mon grand-père est vieux mais très actif. Ma cousine est sportive et un peu sérieuse.
The before-the-noun adjectives (grand, petit, beau, nouveau, vieux) still agree: ma petite sœur, mes vieux grands-parents. Position changes; agreement does not.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.
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