B1 French GrammarParticipial Adjectives
Master using present and past participles as adjectives in French. Learn when to use -ant (present participle) vs -é/-i/-u (past participle) as descriptive words. Understand the difference between fatigant (tiring) and fatigué (tired), and how participles function as adjectives with proper agreement.
1Present Participle as Adjective (-ant)
The present participle (-ant form) can function as an adjective when it describes a quality. As an adjective, it agrees in gender and number: une histoire intéressante (an interesting story). It describes what something IS or DOES: fatigant means 'tiring' (causing fatigue). Common ones: intéressant, amusant, surprenant, choquant.
Present Participle Adjectives
| Verb | Participle | Adjective (m/f) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| intéresser | intéressant | intéressant/e | interesting |
| fatiguer | fatiguant | fatigant/e | tiring |
| surprendre | surprenant | surprenant/e | surprising |
| amuser | amusant | amusant/e | amusing/funny |
| choquer | choquant | choquant/e | shocking |
Examples
C'est un film passionnant.
It's a thrilling film.
-ant describes what the film does
Cette nouvelle est surprenante.
This news is surprising.
surprenante agrees with nouvelle (fem)
Le travail est fatigant.
The work is tiring.
fatigant = causes fatigue
Elle raconte des histoires amusantes.
She tells funny stories.
amusantes agrees with histoires (fem pl)
2Past Participle as Adjective (-é, -i, -u)
Past participles function as adjectives describing a state or result. They agree with the noun: une porte fermée (a closed door). Fatigué means 'tired' (feeling fatigue). Compare: Le film est intéressant (the film interests people) vs Je suis intéressé par le film (I am interested in the film).
Past Participle Adjectives
| Verb | Past Participle | Adjective (m/f) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| fatiguer | fatigué | fatigué/e | tired |
| fermer | fermé | fermé/e | closed |
| surprendre | surpris | surpris/e | surprised |
| ouvrir | ouvert | ouvert/e | open |
| finir | fini | fini/e | finished |
Examples
Je suis fatigué après le travail.
I'm tired after work.
fatigué = feels fatigue (state)
La porte est fermée à clé.
The door is locked.
fermée agrees with porte (fem)
Elle est surprise par la nouvelle.
She is surprised by the news.
surprise = feeling surprise
Les magasins sont ouverts le dimanche.
The shops are open on Sundays.
ouverts agrees with magasins (masc pl)
3Fatigant vs Fatigué (Causing vs Feeling)
The key distinction: -ant describes what CAUSES the feeling (the work is tiring), while -é/-i/-u describes who FEELS it (I am tired). This pattern applies to many adjective pairs: ennuyant/ennuyé (boring/bored), intéressant/intéressé (interesting/interested), surprenant/surpris (surprising/surprised).
Causing vs Feeling
| -ant (Causing) | -é (Feeling) | Example Pair |
|---|---|---|
| fatigant (tiring) | fatigué (tired) | Le sport est fatigant. / Je suis fatigué. |
| ennuyant (boring) | ennuyé (bored) | Le film est ennuyant. / Je suis ennuyé. |
| intéressant | intéressé | Le livre est intéressant. / Je suis intéressé. |
| surprenant | surpris | C'est surprenant. / Je suis surpris. |
Examples
Ce livre est ennuyant. Je suis ennuyé.
This book is boring. I am bored.
book causes boredom / I feel bored
La situation est stressante. Elle est stressée.
The situation is stressful. She is stressed.
situation causes stress / she feels stressed
Le voyage était épuisant. Nous étions épuisés.
The trip was exhausting. We were exhausted.
trip causes exhaustion / we felt exhausted
Ses blagues sont amusantes. Tout le monde est amusé.
His jokes are funny. Everyone is amused.
jokes cause amusement / people feel amused
4Agreement and Placement
Participial adjectives follow the same agreement rules as regular adjectives: they agree in gender and number with the noun. Most come after the noun: une femme fatiguée, des enfants fatigués. Some common ones like même (same) and certain (certain) may come before for emphasis or slight meaning change.
Agreement Patterns
| Masc Sing | Fem Sing | Masc Plur | Fem Plur |
|---|---|---|---|
| fatigué | fatiguée | fatigués | fatiguées |
| surpris | surprise | surpris | surprises |
| ouvert | ouverte | ouverts | ouvertes |
| fini | finie | finis | finies |
Examples
Les enfants fatigués dorment tôt.
The tired children sleep early.
fatigués agrees with enfants (masc pl)
C'est une question compliquée.
It's a complicated question.
compliquée agrees with question (fem)
Les portes ouvertes laissent entrer l'air.
The open doors let air in.
ouvertes agrees with portes (fem pl)
Une fois le travail fini, je pars.
Once the work is finished, I leave.
fini agrees with travail (masc sing)