nounadjectivedeterminer

le neuf

new

Cela décrit quelque chose qui vient d’être fabriqué ou acheté et qui n’a jamais été utilisé.

Definition & meaning

The word neuf has two distinct meanings in French depending on its function in a sentence:

The Number Nine: As a cardinal number, it represents the value between eight (huit) and ten (dix).
New (Adjective): When used as an adjective, it describes something that has been recently made, manufactured, or produced and has not yet been used. It refers to the objective state of an object. For example, a car that has just come out of the factory is "une voiture neuve".

It is important to distinguish neuf from nouveau. While neuf means brand new/unused, nouveau means "new to the owner" or "different from before," even if the object itself is old or used.

Grammar & Word origin

As a number: The word comes from the Latin novem. In terms of grammar, it is generally invariable. However, the pronunciation of the final "f" can change: it is pronounced as a "v" sound when followed by the words ans (years) or heures.

As an adjective: The word comes from the Latin novus. Unlike the number, the adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes:

Masculine singular: neuf
Feminine singular: neuve
Masculine plural: neufs
Feminine plural: neuves

It is almost always placed after the noun it modifies.