LESSONS IN FRENCH. 



33 



LESSONS IN FRENCH. LIIL 

 15-1. THE ADJECTIVE. 



(1.) THK adjective serves to denote the quality or manner ol 

 being of the noun. 



tivos are of two aorta: qualifying adjectives and 

 MV n, I i- '-lives. 



(3.) Wo call <inaiiftjing adjectives those which add to the idea 



. .l.jiM-t that of a quality proper to it; as, bon, good; 



noble, noble ; courageux, courageous. 



(4.) Determinative adjectives are those which odd to the idea 

 of the object, that of a particular limitation or determination ; 

 OH, quelque, sonw; tout, all; autre, o</ur; mon, my ; nul, no; 

 un, one; deux, two. 



15-2. QUALIFYING ADJECTIVES. 



(1.) Those adjectives may express qualities: 1. Simply; 2. 

 With comparison ; 3. Carried to a very high degree. Hence 

 the three degrees of qualification : the positive, the compara 

 t iv.-. and the superlative. 



(2.) The positive is nothing but the adjective in its simplest 

 signification : 



Hoi, je suis ii Paris, trisle, paure, I At Paris I am sad, poor, and se- 

 reclii.i. BOILEAU. eluded. 



(3.) The comparative is the adjective expressing a compari- 

 son between several objects. There is, then, between the 

 objects compared, a relation of equality^ superiority, or in- 

 feriority. 



(4.) The comparison of equality expresses a quality in the 

 same degree, in the objects compared ; it is formed * by placing 

 aussi, as, or autant, as much, before the adjective, and the con- 

 junction que, as, after it : 



L'AlIemngne est aussi peupl.'e que 

 la France. VOLTAIRE. 



A leur tote est le chien, superbe 

 autant qu'utile. DELILLE. 



Germany is as populous as France. 



At their head stands the dog, as noble 

 as useful. 



(5.) The relation or comparison, of superiority expresses a 

 quality in a higher degree in one object than in another ; this 

 comparison is formed by placing plus, more, before the adjec- 

 tive, and que, Uian, after it : 



Les actions sont plus sinccres que 

 les paroles. 



MI.I.K. DE SCUDERT. 

 Le pied du cerf est mieux fait que 

 celui du bamf. BUFFON. 



.fictions are more sincere than words. 



The foot of the stag is letter formed 

 than that of the ox. 



(6.) The comparison of inferiority expresses a quality in a 

 lower degree in one object than in another; it is formed by 

 placing moins, less, before the adjective, and que, than, after 

 it: 



Le naufrage et la mart sont moms 

 funestcs que les plaisirs qui at- 

 taquent la vertu. FKNKLON. 



Shipwreck and death, are less fatal 

 than those pleasures which attack 

 virtue. 



(7.) The adverbs aussi, autant, plus, and moins, must be 

 repeated before every adjective used in the comparative degree 

 in the same sentence : 



II est plus grand et plus fort quo 

 son fn-iv, quoiqu'il soit plus 

 jeune. 



He it taller and stronger than his 

 brother, although he is younger. 



(8.) We have only three adjectives which are comparative of 

 themselves: meilleur, better ;f moindre, less; pire, worse. 



* In French, adjectives cannot be compared, as in English, by means 

 of changes in the termination ; with the exception of meilleur, better ; 

 moindre, tens; and pire, worse, all comparisons must be formed by 

 means of adverbs. 



t Mieuz, better ; pis, irorse ; moins, lss. The English words better, 

 n-orse, less are sometimes adverbs, and when they are so, should be 

 rendered by the several words placed at the commencement of this 

 note. A practical way of determining the nature of those words in 

 English is : 



1. To change the word belter into the expression " in a better manner." 

 If this change may be made without altering the sense, the word belter 

 is an adverb, and must be rendered by mieuz : 

 He reads better (in a bett*r manner) I H lit inieu* que ion frere. 



than kis brnH-rr. 



81 N.E. 



Meilleur, instead of plus bon, which it never used in the 

 sense of better : 



II n'ert meilleur ami ni parent qua I W have no btUtr fntmA, no bttUr 

 oi memo. LA FOXTAIXE. | relation than eurwlM*. 



Pire, instead of plus mauvais, which may however be used : 



Le remi-de art parfoui pir* que le I Th remedy it at Urn* wort* than 

 mal. LENOBLE. the evil. 



Moindre, instead of plus petit, an expression also in use : 



Ce n'est pas <Hro petit que d'etre 

 moindre qu'un grand. BOISTE. 



Being lets than grtat it not bring 

 small. 



(9.) The superlative, or third degree of qualification, ex- 

 presses the quality carried to a very high, or to the highest 

 degree ; hence there are two sorts of superlatives : the relative 

 and the absolute. 



(10.) The superlative relative marks a very high or the 

 highest degree relatively, i.e., with comparison : it is formed by 

 placing le, la, les, the ; mon, ma, mes, my ; ton, ta, tes, thy ; 

 son, sa, SOB, his; notre, nos, our; votre, vos, your; leur, 

 leurs, their, before the comparative of superiority or in- 

 feriority : 



Un bienfait rc9U est la plus sacrtfe 

 de toutes les dcttes. 



MM K. NECKEB. 

 La probitd reconnue est le plus sur 



A benefit received it tht most tacrel 

 of all debit. 



Acknowledged probity is t/te most 

 secure of all oaths. 



de tous les serments. 



(THE SAME.) 



(11.) The words le plus, le moins, must be repeated before 

 every adjective : 



Ce sont les livres IBS plus agrdables, 

 les plus universellement lus, et 

 les plus utiles. 



BEKNAHDIN DE ST. PIEREE. 



These books are the most atjrteMe, 

 the most uuitersaUy read, and (h 

 most useful. 



(12.) The superlative absolute expresses also a very high 

 degree, but, absolutely, without comparison : it is formed by 

 placing before the adjective one of the words, tres, fort, infini- 



ment, extremement, &c. : 



II y a a la ville, comme aillcnrs, de 

 fort sottes gens. LA BRUYERE. 



Je vous prie de croire que je ne 

 songe qu'a vous, et que vous 

 m'etes e.rlre'meinent chere. 



MME. DE S^VIONK. 



There are in cities, as clsirhr, wry 

 silly people. 



I beg you to believe that you art my 

 only thought, and that you are ex- 

 tremely dear to me. 



16. GENDER AND NUMBER OF ADJECTIVES. 



(1.) The adjective has, of itself, neither gender nor number ; 

 it must assume the gender and number of the nonn which it 

 qualifies. 



(2.) The termination of the adjective varies according to the 

 gender and number of the noun which it qualifies or deter- 

 mines : 



Hosculine. Feminine. 



Un homme prudmf. Une femme prudent*. 



A prudent man. A prudent woman. 



DCS homines prudent*. Des femmes prudent**. 



Prudent men. Prudent women. 



17. FORMATION OF THE FEMININK OF ADJECTIVES. 



(1.) All adjectives ending with e mnte, remain unchanged in 

 thn feminine : 



Masculine. 



Un homme agreabl*. 

 An agreeable man. 

 Un mur solide. 

 A strong vail. 



Feminine. 

 Une femme agrAibU. 



An agrttablt woman. 

 Une nuuson aolide. 



A sfnwg (w*U buiW) loute. 



2. If yon can change irors* into " in a wors* manner," it should be 

 translated by pis, or plus mal : 



He reads worse (in a irorse manner) I II lit pis, or plus mal, qne son frvre. 

 than his brother. | 



3. When you may substitute "a smaller amount or quantity" for the 

 word less, it should be rendered by moins : 



He read* less (a smaller amount) I II lit moins qne son frere. 

 than his brother. 



