Nouveau and Neuf means New with a difference:
1- DEFINITION:
Nouveau is for things that are new for the owner, also the latest in a series.
Neuf means brand new, out of the factory…
So, something neuf is also nouveau, but something nouveau is not all the time neuf!
Here is the video:
2- EXAMPLES
You may have a new car which is a second hand one, so in French we use here “nouveau”: une nouvelle voiture, but a car you have just bought from the factory is “une voiture neuve”.
As you can see, the masculine forms are nouveau and nouvel, the feminine nouvelle et the plural: nouveaux and nouvelles. Neuf is masculine, neuve is feminine, neufs and neuves are the plural forms.
Nouveau is usually before the noon (sometimes after in a conversation), neuf is always after it:
-J’ai un nouvel ordinateur (or j’ai un ordinateur nouveau)
-J’ai un ordinateur neuf!
Nouveau is also used to translate the latest thing of a series:
J’ai reçu le nouveau magazine (I received the new magazine), this magazine is brand new, out of the printing press but it is the latest number of a series, you received today the number 4 and already received the previous ones, so here we use “nouveau”:
J’ai reçu le nouveau magazine.
3- EXERCISES:
I bought a new flat:
J’ai acheté un nouvel appartement or J’ai acheté un appartement neuf (it depends on the context)
My book is new:
Mon livre est nouveau or mon livre est neuf!
4- EXPRESSIONS:
What’s up? Quoi de neuf or quoi de nouveau, here nouveau or neuf are interchangeable.
Nothing new! Rien de neuf or rien de nouveau!
Once again: une nouvelle fois
Can you say it once again? Pouvez-vous le dire une nouvelle fois?
De nouveau means again:
Je veux lire de nouveau ce livre I want to read this book again, we can also say relire in French: je veux relire ce livre!
Tout Nouveau tou beau!!!
I finally understood the difference after a journey of confusion grace a vous monsieur ; keep it up 🙂