Position and meaning of adjectives — un grand homme / un homme grand
Position and meaning of adjectives — un grand homme / un homme grand means “A few adjectives change meaning by position: before vs after the noun”. A small set of adjectives has a figurative meaning before the noun and a literal one after it: un grand homme (a great man) vs un homme grand (a tall man); un ancien professeur (a former teacher) vs un livre ancien (an old book). Formation: adj. avant le nom (sens figuré) ↔ adj. après le nom (sens propre)
A few adjectives change meaning by position: before vs after the noun
B2Formation
adj. avant le nom (sens figuré) ↔ adj. après le nom (sens propre)
Explanation
A small set of adjectives has a figurative meaning before the noun and a literal one after it: un grand homme (a great man) vs un homme grand (a tall man); un ancien professeur (a former teacher) vs un livre ancien (an old book). Also cher, pauvre, propre, seul, dernier follow this pattern.
Examples
FAQ
Position and meaning of adjectives — un grand homme / un homme grand — what does it mean and how is it used?
A few adjectives change meaning by position: before vs after the noun. A small set of adjectives has a figurative meaning before the noun and a literal one after it: un grand homme (a great man) vs un homme grand (a tall man); un ancien professeur (a former teacher) vs un livre ancien (an old book). Also cher, pauvre, propre, seul, dernier follow this pattern.
Position and meaning of adjectives — un grand homme / un homme grand — how do you form it?
adj. avant le nom (sens figuré) ↔ adj. après le nom (sens propre)