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.

Ce sont des gens banals.
These are ordinary people.

J'adore les défilés navals!
I love naval parades!

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 !

J'ai reçu mes résultats finaux.
I got my final results.

J'ai reçu mes résultats finals.
I got my final results.

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Ces serpents sont particulièrement fatals.
These snakes are particularly deadly.

J'adore les défilés navals!
I love naval parades!

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!

Q&A Forum 3 questions, 9 answers

DraganaC1

Feminine forms

Are there feminine plural forms?

Asked 11 months ago

Like0Answer4

CécileKwiziq language super starCorrect answer

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!

Like011 months ago

AlanC1

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.

Like011 months ago

DraganaC1

Thank you Alan. That is exactly what I was asking. So fatal is fatales in Feminine Plural.

Like011 months ago

CécileKwiziq language super star

Yes indeed as in " femmes fatales"...

Like011 months ago

Dragana asked:View original

Feminine forms

Are there feminine plural forms?

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EngeniousC1

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 4 years ago

Like0Answer1

ChrisC1Correct answer

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).

Like04 years ago

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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CatherineB2

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 0 years ago

Like0Answer4

AurélieKwiziq language super star

Bonjour Catherine ! Yes that's correct, both spellings are perfectly acceptable and interchangeable.

Like00 years ago

SusanC1

One of the Kwizbot B1 tests marked "glaciaux" as wrong in a multiple choice question. It would only accept "glacials."

Like01 year ago

GaryB2

Yes because it was teaching the 'ls' exceptions

Like04 years ago

AurélieKwiziq language super star

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 !

Like04 years ago

Catherine asked:View original