 | |
| Share / Tweet / Pin Me! | |
French foes
The French adjectives neuf and nouveau can be tricky for French students because they are both equivalent to "new" but are not interchangeable. Here’s a new look at these timeless French foes.
Neuf = objectively new
Neuf is used for something that is objectively new: brand new, new to the world, never used.
Par exemple…
| C’est un livre neuf. | It’s a brand-new book (I’m the first owner). | |
| J’ai trouvé un restaurant neuf. | I found a new restaurant (it just opened). | |
| Maison neuve à vendre | New (just-built) house for sale | |
| Il lance une théorie neuve. | He’s advancing a brand-new theory. | |
| J’ai mis des chaussettes neuves. | I put on some (brand-new) socks. |
Antonym: vieux (old)
Grammar notes
Like most French adjectives, neuf follows the noun it modifies and has four forms to agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies:
| masculine | feminine | |
| singular | neuf | neuve |
| plural | neufs | neuves |
Noun: le neuf = something new.
More: Expressions with neuf / nouveau.
Homonym: neuf is also the number "nine"
Nouveau = subjectively new
Nouveau means new to the speaker, a new possession, "new to me," different than its predecessor.
Par exemple…
| C’est un nouveau livre d’occasion. | It’s a new (to me) used book. | |
| J’ai trouvé un nouveau restaurant. | I found a new restaurant (I’ve never eaten there). | |
| Nous achetons une nouvelle maison de 1875. | We’re buying a new (to us) house built in 1875. | |
| Il lance une nouvelle théorie. | He’s advancing a new theory (he gave up on the previous one). | |
| J’ai mis de nouvelles chaussettes. | I put on some new (clean) socks. |
Antonym: ancien (former)
Grammar notes
Unlike most French adjectives, nouveau usually precedes the noun it modifies (but see movable adjectives). It has four forms to agree in gender and number …
| masculine | feminine | |
| singular | nouveau | nouvelle |
| plural | nouveaux | nouvelles |
… as well as a fifth form, nouvel, for masculine nouns that begin with a vowel.
Nouns
- une nouvelle = piece of news
- les nouvelles = news (aka les actualités)
Related lessons
- Expressions with neuf and nouveau
- Introduction to adjectives
- Euphonic adjectives
- Movable adjectives
- Numbers
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!
This free website is created with love and a great deal of work.
You must log in to post a comment.