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:
Ces tabourets sont bancals.
These stools are wobbly.
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)
Il y a des vents glacials aujourd'hui!
There are some freezing winds today!
Les derniers jours ont été glaciaux !
The last days have been freezing !
See also Forming the plural of nouns ending in -al
Examples and resources
Les derniers jours ont été glaciaux !
The last days have been freezing !
Ces tabourets sont bancals.
These stools are wobbly.
J'ai reçu mes résultats finals.
I got my final results.
Ce sont des gens banals.
These are ordinary people.
J'ai reçu mes résultats finaux.
I got my final results.
Il y a des vents glacials aujourd'hui!
There are some freezing winds today!
Ces serpents sont particulièrement fatals.
These snakes are particularly deadly.
J'adore les défilés navals!
I love naval parades!
Q&A
Chris
Kwiziq community member
2/02/18
.....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).
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
13/06/16
Yes that's correct, both spellings are perfectly acceptable and interchangeable.
Susan
Kwiziq community member
14/05/17
Gary
Kwiziq community member
1/02/18
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
1/02/18
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 !
Dragana
Kwiziq community member
24 July 2018
4 replies
Feminine forms
Are there feminine plural forms?
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
25 July 2018
25/07/18
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 community member
25 July 2018
25/07/18
Dragana
Kwiziq community member
25 July 2018
25/07/18
Thank you Alan. That is exactly what I was asking. So fatal is fatales in Feminine Plural.
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
26 July 2018
26/07/18