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Lesson 14A1

Adjective Agreement

വിശേഷണ യോജന

A single French adjective can take up to four different spellings depending on the noun it describes. Malayalam adjectives never change form at all, no matter what they describe.

Grammar Comparison

വ്യാകരണ താരതമ്യം

Masculine and feminine endings

French

un grand livre (masc.) / une grande maison (fem.) — grand adds an 'e' for feminine

Malayalam

വലിയ പുസ്തകം / വലിയ വീട് — വലിയ never changes

French adjectives change their spelling — and often their pronunciation — to match the gender of the noun they describe, typically by adding an 'e' for feminine. Malayalam's വലിയ (big) stays exactly the same word regardless of the noun, so there's no agreement to track at all in Malayalam.

Plural adds a third and fourth form

French

grands (masc. plural) / grandes (fem. plural) — up to four total spellings for one adjective

Malayalam

വലിയ — still the same single word, even for plural nouns

On top of the masculine/feminine split, French adjectives also add -s for plural, stacking gender and number into as many as four distinct forms for a single word. Malayalam adjectives take zero additional forms for number, the same way they take zero for gender — one word covers every case.

Vocabulary

വാക്കുകൾ

grandgrahn
Malayalam
വലിയvaliya
English
big (masc.)
grandegrahnd
Malayalam
വലിയvaliya
English
big (fem.)
petitpuh-TEE
Malayalam
ചെറിയcheriya
English
small (masc.)
petitepuh-TEET
Malayalam
ചെറിയcheriya
English
small (fem.)
beauboh
Malayalam
സുന്ദരമായsundaramaaya
English
beautiful (masc.)
bellebel
Malayalam
സുന്ദരമായsundaramaaya
English
beautiful (fem.)
bonbohn
Malayalam
നല്ലnalla
English
good (masc.)
bonnebun
Malayalam
നല്ലnalla
English
good (fem.)
grandsgrahn
Malayalam
വലിയvaliya
English
big (masc. pl.)
grandesgrahnd
Malayalam
വലിയvaliya
English
big (fem. pl.)