Noire is already the feminine singular form of the French adjective for 'black'. In French, adjectives, including those describing colors, must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
Understanding Gender Agreement in French Adjectives
French adjectives change their ending to match the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun they describe. For many adjectives, the feminine singular form is created by adding an '-e' to the masculine singular form.
For example, the adjective 'noir' (black) changes as follows:
| Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Feminine Plural |
|---|---|---|
| noir | noire | noires |
As illustrated, 'noir' is the masculine singular form, and adding an 'e' transforms it into 'noire' for the feminine singular. To form the plural, an 's' is typically added.
Practical Examples of Usage
Understanding how 'noir' changes to 'noire' is essential for correct sentence construction in French. Here are a few examples:
- Masculine Singular:
- Un chat noir (A black cat)
- Un café noir (A black coffee)
- Feminine Singular:
- Une voiture noire (A black car)
- Une nuit noire (A black/dark night)
- Masculine Plural:
- Des chats noirs (Black cats)
- Feminine Plural:
- Des voitures noires (Black cars)
This agreement ensures grammatical correctness and clarity when describing nouns in French.
