Adjectives Used as Nouns
Practise Adjectives Used as Nouns for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). A definite article before an adjective forms a noun, as in le seul or l'anglais.
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Topic overview
An adjective can be turned into a noun by putting an article in front of it, and French does this far more readily than English.
Le petit means the small one, les vieux means the old ones, and les jeunes means young people. The adjective still agrees in gender and number with whatever it refers to, so la petite refers to a small female and les petites to small females.
This is very common with colours and nationalities. Le rouge means the red one or simply red as a colour. Les Français means the French people, with a capital letter as a noun, whereas français as an adjective takes a small letter — a distinction worth watching in writing.
Revision notes
How it works
Put an article in front of an adjective and it becomes a noun.
Le petit — the small one. Les vieux — the old ones. Les jeunes — young people. The article carries the gender and number information.
Agreement still applies
The adjective agrees with what it refers to.
Le petit for a male, la petite for a female, les petits for a mixed or male group, les petites for a female group. The endings work exactly as they do when the adjective modifies a noun.
Capital letters with nationalities
As a noun, a nationality takes a capital: les Français means the French people.
As an adjective it takes a small letter: un livre français. Getting this wrong is a spelling error rather than a grammar one, but it is still marked.
Key points
- An article turns an adjective into a noun.
- Le petit means the small one.
- Les jeunes means young people.
- The adjective still agrees in gender and number.
- Nationalities take a capital as nouns.
- Nationalities take a small letter as adjectives.
Worked examples
Example 1
Translate: the old ones, referring to a group of men. [2 marks]
Working
Example 2
Explain the difference between les Français and français. [2 marks]
Working
Example 3
Translate: the small one, referring to a girl. [2 marks]
Working
Common mistakes
Forgetting the adjective still agrees.
La petite for a female, not le petit.
Using a small letter for a nationality noun.
Les Français takes a capital as a noun.
Adding a noun unnecessarily.
Les jeunes already means young people; les jeunes gens is not needed.
Using the wrong article gender.
The article must match who or what is referred to.
Exam tips
- Match the adjective ending to who is referred to.
- Capitalise nationalities used as nouns.
- Remember the article carries the gender information.
- Use this structure to avoid repeating a noun.
Key terms
- Nominalisation
- Turning an adjective into a noun with an article.
- Agreement
- Changing the adjective to match gender and number.
- Nationality noun
- A nationality used as a noun, taking a capital.
- Nationality adjective
- A nationality describing a noun, taking a small letter.
Related topics
Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.