La place des adjectifs – Le français d’aujourd’hui
Before or After the Noun – A Different meaning
I’d like to highlight these common adjectives that change meaning according to where they are in the sentence, before or after the noun. As a general rule, the meaning is more metaphorical when the adjective is in front of the noun, and the meaning is more literal when the adjective comes after the noun.
- une grande dame = a great woman
- un pauvre homme = an unfortunate man
- une dame grande = a tall woman
- un homme pauvre = a poor man