B1

Order of Adjectives in English

Several adjectives before a noun follow a typical order. It is a habit, not a law of physics:

opinion → size → age → shape → colour → origin → material → purpose + noun.

  • a lovely small old round brown Italian leather walking bag — overkill, but it shows the order
  • More natural: a small brown leather bag
  • a beautiful old wooden table
  • a young French student

Opinion adjectives (nice, ugly, comfortable) usually come before facts. After be the order is freer: The bag is small and brown.