# FR: différent - place de l'adjectif



## jjjbec

Hi,

I understand that the adjective 'différent' can be used before and after the noun in French. Can somebody explain to me what the difference in meaning is?

Thanks

*Moderator note:* Multiple threads have been merged to create this one.


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## itka

I would say before the noun, it means "various", "diverse" and after the noun, it properly means "different".

_J'ai vu différents modèles de jupes._
I saw various kinds of shirts.

_J'ai choisi un modèle différent._
I choose a different model.

I'm afraid that's not always true, but more or less, (let's say 90 %) it is right.


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## jjjbec

Thanks, that makes sense.

SO what would be the difference between saying

de differents enfants

and des enfants differents?

Thanks


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## itka

You need context to understand.

So, I take some examples :

J'ai besoin de l'avis de différents enfants pour savoir si ce livre leur plaira.
I need the opinion of several children ... (more than one or two...)

J'ai besoin de l'avis d'enfants différents...
I need the opinion of different childrent...(children coming from different contries, different social level, etc...)


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## nettothenetizen

Hi! I was wondering when the word "différent" is placed before or after nouns? I've seen different things in different cases, like *ces différents besoins, les différentes raisons*, but *les cultures différentes*. Is there a way to tell?

Thanks!


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## Micia93

"il y a des raisons / besoins / cultures / différents (es) dans le monde"
and
"les différents (es) raisons / besoins / cultures qui expliquent cela ..."

is it clearer ?


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## nettothenetizen

Thanks! Hmmm.. but is there a more general rule? I'm still not very clear about this...


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## Micia93

of course, an example is not a rule, but let's say that if a sentence begins with 
"il y a" the adjective is after the noun, if the noun starts the sentence, the adjective is then before the word
I had never thought of that, and can only explain it this way
wait for an expert in grammar !  :=)


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## ledders

Could it be that it's:

un/une/des + noun + différent

and

le/la/les + différent + noun

?


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## TitTornade

Hello,
To me, the meaning is not exactly the same when you change the position of "différent".
"_Dans ce pays cohabitent des personnes de différentes cultures._" the meaning is close to: "plusieurs cultures" ; "différent" could mean something as "several".

"_Ces pays ont des cultures différentes._" the meaning of "différent" is close to: "not the same".

But these differences between the two positions are quite small and certainly not always true...

I hope it helps...


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## Keith Bradford

TitTornade explains it as I've always understood it.  I find that _différents_ before the noun often translates as _*various*_.


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## ledders

Micia93 said:


> I quite don't understand your question


 
I was just wondering if _différent _went after the noun when the indefinite article is used, and before the noun when the definite article is used, as that's what your examples seem to show 

But the other responses are probably more helpful


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## Forero

_Différent_(_e_)_s_ is less likely to mean _various_/_plusieurs_ after the indefinite article. Some various/several cultures? Quelques différentes/plusieurs cultures?

If you mean "different"/"not the same", I imagine you could say "les cultures différentes qu'on a mentionnées" (the [very] different cultures we were talking about).

N'est-ce pas?


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## TitTornade

I don't think the article plays a role :
"les différentes cultures que nous avons mentionnées..." =  "the various cultures we were talking about..."
"les cultures différentes que nous avons mentionnées..." = "the (very) different cultures we were talking about..."

But the differences are really narrow, I guess...


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## CapnPrep

Forero said:


> _Différent_(_e_)_s_ is less likely to mean _various_/_plusieurs_ after the indefinite article.


That's right. In fact, in such cases, _différents_ functions as a determiner and the indefinite article is impossible:De(s) différentes cultures ont été mentionnées.
Différentes cultures ont été mentionnées.​See also the following thread:
*de différents X / différents X*


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## LorenD

I am writing a french oral and would like to know if you would say "bâtiments de différentes époques" or "bâtiments de époques différentes". Google translate says "bâtiments de différentes époques" but I don't trust this.


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## Tochka

Les francophones peuvent me corriger, mais il me paraît que...
If you want to stress the fact that the periods in question all differ from each other, you would place _différentes_ behind the noun, but if you just mean various ages, then it would probably go before it.


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## Maître Capello

If you mean *various*, the adjective should precede the noun; if you mean *different*, it should follow it.

_*différentes* époques_ = *various* eras
_époques *différentes*_ = *different* eras


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## Bluelady

LorenD said:


> I am writing a french oral and would like to know if you would say "bâtiments de différentes époques" or "bâtiments de époques différentes". Google translate says "bâtiments de différentes époques" but I don't trust this.



_Bâtiments de différentes époques_, but anyway _bâtiments d'époques différentes _is also possible, provided you don't forget the elision of _e _in _de _before a word (here, _époques_) beginning with a vowel.


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## bcd85

I'm so confused. I always thought the word "different" went after the noun. But I just saw this sentence:

"Ces sont les different parties de mon avion"

Is it before or after the noun?


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## Oddmania

Hi,

In this case, _différentes _is a determiner. It means _various _or _different _(_These are the various/different parts of_...)
When it comes after the noun, it means_ "dissimilar"._


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## CapnPrep

Oddmania said:


> In this case, _différentes _is a determiner.


It has the meaning you explained, but it can't be a determiner in this specific example (since it is preceded by _les_). _Différent(e)s_ can only be used as an indefinite determiner, as in the examples given earlier in this thread.


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## Oddmania

You're right, my bad!


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## saltsway

Bonjour,

Est-ce que l'adjectif "différent" change de sens lorsqu'il est placé avant le verbe? Je crois avoir appris cela dans un cour il y a quelques ans, mais je ne réussis pas à le confirmer dans mon dictionnaire.

Par exemple: pour de différentes raisons/ pour des raisons différentes

Dans le premier cas, je croyais qu'il s'agissait de *plusieurs* raisons, lorsque dans le second, je croyais que l'emphase était sur la différence entre elles.

Mille fois merci.


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## mehoul

Tu as raison, dans le premier cas ça signifie "several reasons" et dans le deuxième cas "other reasons" (qui suppose qu'on a déjà parlé d'une certaine raison potentielle).


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## 123tsunami321

I also have a question about the placement of 'différent'. Is 'deux domaines d'applications différents' translated as 'two different domains of applications' since 'domaines' is a masculine, plural noun and 'différents' is a masculine, plural adjective? If this is the correct translation, why does 'différents' not immediately follow 'domaines'?


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## atcheque

Bonjour,

_domaine d'application_ is a compound word, a set phrase.


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## Bluelady

Tes, "domaine d'application" is considered as one word ; you cannot seperate thé elements of a compound word.


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## Maître Capello

I wouldn't go that far. It _is_ possible – though much rarer and less natural – to split such noun phrases.


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