French Words You Already Know: The “-ABLE / -IBLE” Connection
Good news: you already know hundreds of French adjectives — even if you’ve never studied French before.
How? Because of one simple rule: English words ending in “-able” or “-ible” are almost the same in French.
That’s right!
If you can say possible, adorable, or incredible in English, you already know their French twins:
possible, adorable, incroyable.
Let’s explore this powerful pattern
The Rule
Most English adjectives ending in “-able” or “-ible” are identical (or nearly identical) in French.
Examples:
- possible → possible
- adorable → adorable
- terrible → terrible
- flexible → flexible
These words look, sound, and even mean almost the same — a dream for any learner!
️ Why It Works
Both English and French borrowed these words from Latin adjectives ending in -abilis or -ibilis.
That’s why so many of them evolved in parallel and remained nearly identical.
This makes French one of the most “English-friendly” languages — you already recognize a large portion of the vocabulary.
Common Examples
| English | French |
|---|---|
| possible | possible |
| adorable | adorable |
| comfortable | confortable |
| incredible | incroyable |
| responsible | responsable |
| terrible | terrible |
| flexible | flexible |
| visible | visible |
| valuable | valuable (rare, borrowed) |
| capable | capable |
| probable | probable |
| acceptable | acceptable |
| respectable | respectable |
| impossible | impossible |
| portable | portable |
| durable | durable |
| notable | notable |
| horrible | horrible |
| sensible | sensible (means “sensitive” in French!) |
| compatible | compatible |
Pronunciation Tip
The French “-able” ending is pronounced softly: ah-bluh, not ay-buhl.
For example:
- adorable → [ah-do-rah-bluh]
- impossible → [ahm-poh-see-bluh]
The “-ible” ending sounds almost the same — but often with a softer “ee” sound before it.
Practice Time
Let’s test your pattern recognition!
Translate these English adjectives into French — hint: many are exactly the same.
️ Small Differences
Be careful — some words look similar but have slightly different meanings or spellings:
| English | French | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sensible | sensible | means “sensitive,” not “reasonable” |
| respectable | respectable | same form, but pronunciation is softer |
| comfortable | confortable | same meaning, different stress |
| admirable | admirable | identical! |
These “false friends” are rare, but worth knowing.
️ Use‑it‑today sentence templates
French “-able / -ible” adjectives become useful fast when you attach them to common frames:
- C’est + adjective. (It’s …)
- C’est vraiment + adjective. (It’s really …)
- Ce n’est pas + adjective. (It’s not …)
- C’est + adjective + de + infinitive. (It’s … to …)
Examples:
- C’est possible. (It’s possible.)
- Ce n’est pas acceptable. (It’s not acceptable.)
- C’est incroyable ! (It’s incredible!)
- C’est difficile de comprendre. (It’s difficult to understand.)
Learning tip: memorize 3–5 of these as full chunks. That’s how you move from “recognize the word” to “use the word.”
Grammar: agreement (quick note)
Many -able/-ible adjectives follow standard French agreement:
- masculine singular: un plan possible
- feminine singular: une solution possible
- plural: des plans possibles / des solutions possibles
The spelling change is often just an extra -e for feminine and -s for plural. Don’t worry about perfection at first—focus on recognizing and producing the base word.
Pronunciation tip (French “softness”)
In French, final consonants are often softer than in English. You’ll usually hear the stress toward the end of the word, but without a strong final “t/d” sound. If you aim for clear vowels and a smooth ending, words like possible, terrible, flexible will sound much more French immediately. Try shadowing a short phrase like c’est possible 10 times.
7‑day micro‑plan (5 minutes/day)
- Day 1: Learn 15 adjectives from this guide (say them out loud).
- Day 2: Write 5 sentences with c’est / ce n’est pas.
- Day 3: Learn 10 more, plus 5 opposites (possible/impossible…).
- Day 4: Read a French article and highlight every -able/-ible adjective.
- Day 5: Speak: describe a movie using 5 adjectives (incroyable, mémorable…).
- Day 6: Review and keep only the ones you actually use.
- Day 7: Test: translate 20 English -able/-ible adjectives into French quickly.
Quick FAQ
Are these always “perfect cognates”?
Often, but not always. Sometimes the spelling shifts slightly (comfortable → confortable) or the meaning drifts (sensible). Use the pattern as a strong default and double‑check when something feels off.
The Takeaway
Whenever you see an English word ending in “-able” or “-ible”, try saying it with a French accent —
you’ll probably get it right!
This is one of the easiest and most reliable cognate patterns in the French language.
You’re not starting from zero — you’re simply revealing the French that’s already hidden inside your English.
Next up:
Continue your streak with another easy French pattern — “Is it -ANCE or -ENCE?” A Simple Guide to French and English Nouns.
Or test your skills right now with the interactive LingoBingo App at lingobingo.app.