compounded nouns : how to agree

17 oct. 2017 09:43 - language-swap

Niveau intermédiaire plus

The compounded nouns in French have to agree in the plural. But how? Let's see the different cases:

1. Noun + Noun

When the second noun becomes an adjective, they both agree
Example:
Un chou-fleur → des choux-fleurs

When the second noun is a complement separated by a preposition or not the first one get the -s
Example:
Des timbres-poste

When the first noun is incomplete
Example:
Des franco-arabes
Des tragi-comédies

2. Noun + adjective or adjective + noun
They both agree.
Example:
Des cerfs-volants
Un coffre-fort

3. Adjective + adjective
Both agree except if one of them has a value of adjective or adjective of color
Example:
Des sourds-muets
Des sauces aigres-douces
Des fleurs rose pâle

4. Verb + noun
When the noun is a direct object, the noun agrees but the verb doesn't.
Example:
Des couvre-lits
Des gratte-ciels

When the noun is an indirect object, nothing agrees
Example:
Les touche-à-tout
Les brosse-à-dent



5. Verb + adverb
Nothing agrees
Example:
Des passe-partout

6. Verb + verb
Nothing agrees
Example:
Un savoir-faire
Des savoir-vivre

7. Adverb or preposition + noun
In general the noun agrees when it's composed of adjective + noun.
Example:
La carte marine indique les hauts-fonds

Generally, the noun agrees when it's composed of preposition + noun
Example:
Des arrière-boutiques

8. Demi + noun
The noun agrees.
Example:
Une demi-heure
Des demi-heures

9. Garde + noun
When garde has the sense of the verb “garder” (to keep), nothing agrees.
Example:
Un garde-manger
Des garde-manger

When garde has the sens of “gardien” (a gardian) they both agrees.
Example:
Des gardes-forestier
Un garde-corps

10. Grand ou Franc + Noun or adjective
They only agree to masculine nouns or adjectives
Example:
Des grands-père → Les grand-mères
Des francs-maçons