The translation from this phrase is ‘the last days have been freezing’ - shouldn’t it be ‘les jours derniers’ as dernier in front of the noun implies the last time ever while after implies last most recent time according the the lesson on placement of dernier in relation to the noun
Most adjectives ending in -al change to -aux (masculine plural) or -ales (feminine plural) - see Forming the plural of adjectives ending in -al - but there are exceptions to that rule.
Look at these cases:
The following adjectives are exceptions which take -s in the masculine plural form:
| Masculine singular | Masculine plural | English |
| banal | banals | banal / ordinary |
| bancal | bancals | wobbly / rickety |
| fatal | fatals | fatal / lethal |
| naval | navals | naval |
| natal | natals | natal |
| glacial | glacials / glaciaux | freezing |
| final | finals / finaux | final |
ATTENTION:
Both plural forms of glacial and final are accepted in French: regular (glaciaux / finaux) and irregular (glacials / finals)
See also Forming the plural of nouns ending in -al
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 4 questions, 12 answers
Actually dernier precedes the noun when it means most recent. For example, "son dernier livre" = "his latest book". It comes after the noun when it means previous.
So perhaps "les derniers jours" means the last few days (including today) and "les jours derniers" the previous days (but not today)?
Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Strictly speaking, you are correct. But the French are all but strict. Often dernier precedes the noun and that seems to be the kind of default placement, when there is no real danger of misunderstanding.
Julianne asked:View original
Les derniers jours ont été glacials
The translation from this phrase is ‘the last days have been freezing’ - shouldn’t it be ‘les jours derniers’ as dernier in front of the noun implies the last time ever while after implies last most recent time according the the lesson on placement of dernier in relation to the noun
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HI Dragana,
Indeed, these examples are all feminine and plural forms of adjectives-
Des pierres précieuses = Precious stones
Des averses glaciales = Icy showers
Des boissons fraîches = Cold drinks
Des chemises chères = Expensive shirts
Des pommes rouges = Red Apples
Hope this helps!
Alan Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
I think the point of Dragana's question is that only the masculine plural endings are given in this lesson. The reason, I suppose, is that only the masculine endings are irregular - the feminine endings are just -ales as normal.
DraganaKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Thank you Alan. That is exactly what I was asking. So fatal is fatales in Feminine Plural.
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EngeniousKwiziq community member
Banals/Banaux
Is this pair also interchangeable?
This test question suggest otherwise:
Which one of these plural forms is wrong? : géniaux, banaux, généraux, totaux
Asked 2 years ago
No, the masculine plural form of "banal" is "banals".
.....except in the very rare case when the adjective "banal" us used in its other meaning: feudal (as in the "feudal system"). In that case the plural masculin is "banaux": "les moulins banaux" = the feudal mills where peasants could mill their grain paying a fraction of it to the lord of the land.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
.....except in the very rare case when the adjective "banal" us used in its other meaning: feudal (as in the "feudal system"). In that case the plural masculin is "banaux": "les moulins banaux" = the feudal mills where peasants could mill their grain paying a fraction of it to the lord of the land.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Engenious asked:View original
Banals/Banaux
Is this pair also interchangeable?
This test question suggest otherwise:
Which one of these plural forms is wrong? : géniaux, banaux, généraux, totaux
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CatherineKwiziq community member
Re glacials/glaciaux and finals/finaux
Hi, Just to confirm that glacials/glaciaux and finals/finaux can be interchanged, with no rule as to when to use each one? Thanks, Catherine
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Catherine !
Yes that's correct, both spellings are perfectly acceptable and interchangeable.
SusanKwiziq community member
One of the Kwizbot B1 tests marked "glaciaux" as wrong in a multiple choice question. It would only accept "glacials."
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Susan !
I've looked through all our questions, and they all accept glaciaux as a correct alternate answer.
Do you have the specific question in mind by any chance?
Merci et à bientôt !
CatherineKwiziq community member
I was just marked incorrect in a test for writing des temps glaciaux.
Catherine asked:View original
Re glacials/glaciaux and finals/finaux
Hi, Just to confirm that glacials/glaciaux and finals/finaux can be interchanged, with no rule as to when to use each one? Thanks, Catherine
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