Gender of the Nouns (Genre des Noms)
The nouns in French are either of masculine or of feminine gender. Nouns that refer to males are masculine and those that refer to females are feminine.
| Masculine | Feminine |
... |
... |
For the nouns that denote inanimate objects gender seems randomly assigned and it is to be memorized.
Sometimes the gender may be recognized by the suffixes. Nouns ending in -age, -ier -ion, -ment, -oir etc. are masculine:
- voyage voyage,
- encrier ink pot,
- avion aircraft.
- bâtiment building,
- miroir mirror.
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For more details see Suffixes of Nouns.
Derivation of the Feminine (La Dérivation du Féminin)
Usually feminine is derived from masculine by adding a mute -e; note that in these cases the mute final consonants of the masculine forms become pronounceable, cf.:
| Masculine | Feminine |
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|
ka] 
dida] 
sp
dThere occur some orthographic and phonetic changes:
Feminine can be derived through suffixation:
| Suffix Change | Examples | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| maître master | maîtresse mistress | ||
| pécheur sinner | pécheresse sinner | ||
| chameau he-camel | chamelle she-camel | ||
| serveur waiter | serveuse waiteress | ||
| directeur director | directrice manageress | ||
| ambassadeur ambassador | ambassadrice ambassadress | ||
Gender of the nouns of Greek origin (Genre des noms d'origine Grecque)
The nouns of Greek origin tend to preserve the gender they have in Greek (the nouns of neuter gender being classified as masculine). Thus: The nouns suffixed by -me, -at and -ète are masculine, cf.:
- thème theme, topic, telegramme depeche;
- climat climate;
- poète poet, prophète prophet, comète comet etc.
- crise crisis, hypothèse hypothesis, synthèse synthesis, thèse thesis etc.
Nouns of common gender (Noms de genre commun)
These are nouns with one form for both genders. Here are included:
1. All the nouns suffixed by -ista, cf.:
- artiste artist
- journaliste journalist
- pianiste pianist
- touriste tourist etc.
- camarade comrade
- compatriote compatriot
- hérétique heretic
- indigène indigen
- interprète interpreter
- patriotre patriot
Nouns of epicene gender (Noms de genre épicène)
These are nouns having but one form to indicate either sex. The natural sex is indicated by the adjectives mâle male and femelle female:
- la souris (mâle / femelle) mouse
- la cigogne (mâle / femelle) stork
- la grenouille (mâle / femelle) toad
- le serpent (mâle / femelle) snake
- le rossignol (mâle / femelle) nightingale
- le canari (mâle / femelle) canary.
Nouns of both genders (Noms de genre ambigu)
A few nouns may be either masculine or feminine:
| Word | Usage in masculine | Usage in feminine |
| amour love, love affair | un amour passager | les amours secrètes de Jean |
| après-midi afternoon | ||
| chose thing | in the expressions:
| |
| gens (pl.) people | with adjectives that follow the noun:
| with adjectives that precede the noun, ifthey have different forms for masculine and feminine, cf.:
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| merci mercy | in the expressions of politeness | in the expression: à la merci de... |
| œuvre work | in the expressions:
| |
| orgue organ (wind instrument) | un orgue portatif | les grandes orgues d'une cathédrale |
| perce-neige snowdrop |
Some of these nouns may change their meaning:
| Word | Meaning in masculine | Meaning in feminine |
| aide aigle couple crêpe critique foudre garde guide hymne livre manche mémoire mode moule office paillasse page Pâque poêle pendule personne poste physique platine politique solde somme statuaire tour vague vapeur voile | assistant male eagle; eagle-bearing insignia couple crepe, crape critic tun guardian, custodian chieftain; guide (manual) national anthem book handle, grip, knob scientific article mode, manner mold church service jester page (young servant) the Jewish Passover oven pendulum person administrative position physique (bodily makeup) platinum politician merchandise of reduced price sleep sculptor lap, tour vaguenes steamer veil | aid female eagle; eagle-bearing standard pair pancake critique thunderbolt guard, custody rein, bridle religious song pound sleeve memory fashon shell pantry mattress of straw page (book leaf) (pl.) Easter frying pan clock (indef. pron.) nobody mail (station) physics (science) flat part politics soldier salary sum plastic art tower wave steam, vapor sail |
Plural of the Nouns (Pluriel des Noms)
Plural is derived by adding -s to the nouns, cf.:
| Singular | Plural |
| ami friend clou nail détail detail mère mother page page etc... | amis friends clous nails détails details mères mothers pages pages |
Note that this -s is mute, though written, and in the speach plural is recognized by external indicators, as articles, pronouns etc, cf.:
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Orthographic Particularities:
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(seven words only) |
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(eight words only) |
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le bal : les bals ball (dance) : balls le carnaval : les -als carnival : -als le cèrémonial : les -als ceremonial : -als le chacal : les chacals jackal : jackals le festival : les -als festival : festivals le récital : les récitals recital : recitals etc... |
Family names do not add -s to make plural, cf.: les Dupont the Duponts.
The plurals of the illustrious family names are, however, formed with -s, cf.:
- les Bourbons the Bourbons,
- les Plantagenets the Plantagenets,
- les Scipions the Scipions,
- les Stuarts the Stuarts etc.
Irregular Plural Forms (Formes Irrégulières de Pluriel)
| Singular | Plural |
| un aïeul ancestor | des aïeuls grandparents / des aïeux ancestors |
| un ciel sky | des cieux skies / des ciels skies |
| un erratum erratum | des errata errata |
| un gentleman gentleman | des gentlemen gentlemen |
| un impresario impresario | des impresari- (-ios) impresarios |
| un œil eye | des yeux eyes / des œils eyes (as technical term) |
Plural of the Compound Nouns (Pluriel des Noms Composés)
| Type of Compound Noun | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + Noun | If the second noun is an apposition to the first, both make plural. | un aide-maçon : des aides-maçons une location-vente : des locations-ventes |
| If the second noun is a complement to the first, only the first noun forms plural. | un timbre-poste : des timbres-poste une pause-café : des pauses-café | |
| Noun + Adj. (Adj. + Noun) | In 95% of the cases both elements form plural. | une basse-cour : des basses-cours un haut-commissaire : des hauts-commissaires
un bonhomme : des bonshommes un gentilhomme : des gentilshommes madame : mesdames mademoiselle : mesdemoiselles monsieur : messieurs |
| Noun +Prep. + Noun | If the second noun is a complement to the first, only the first noun forms plural. | un bouton-d'or : des boutons-d'or un arc-en-ciel : des arcs-en-ciels |
| If the compound noun is derived from complements attached to a verb, both elements remain invariable. | un coq-à-l'âne : des coq-à-l'âne un pied-à-terre : des pied-à-terre un face-à-face : des face-à-face | |
| Prep. (Prefix) + Noun | Only the noun makes plural. | un demi-soupir : des demi-soupirs |
| Verb + Noun | In 70% of the cases both the verb and the noun remain invariable. | un coupe-gorge : des coupe-gorge un porte-avions : des porte-avions |
| In 20% of the cases the noun makes plural, while the verb remains invariable. | un arrache-clou : des arrache-clous un passe-montagne : des passe-montagnes | |
| In 10% of the cases the noun can make or not plural, while the verb remains invariable. | un porte-savon : des porte-savon(s) un pèse-lettre : des pèse-lettre(s) | |
| Phrase | All the elements remain invariable. | un cessez-le-feu : des cessez-le-feu un on-dit : des on-dit rumours |
Nouns of different meaning in plural
(Noms de significations différentes en pluriel)
Some nouns change their meaning in plural:
| Singular | Plural |
| abattis m cut wood | abattis m turnings |
| autorité f authority | autorités f authorities |
| bouche f mouth | bouches f mouth of a river |
| but m aim, goal | buts m goal (sport) |
| ciseau m chisel | ciseaux m scissors |
| douceur f sweetness | douceurs f cake, sweet |
| eau f water | eaux f fountains |
| fer m iron | fers m irons |
| humanité f humanity, mankind | humanités f humanities |
| lendemain m the next day | lendemains m future |
| lunettes f round window | lunettes f spectacles |
| menotte f little hand | menottes f shackles |
| lumière f light | lumières f enligtenment |
| papier m paper | papiers m documents, papers |
| pâte f dough | pâtes f pastry |
| provision f advance, store, supply, stock | provisions f viand |
| statut m statute | statuts m regulations |
| vacance f vacant place | vacances f holiday |
| vicissitude f change, transformations | vicissitudes f vicissitudes |
Pluralia tantum
These are nouns used in plural only. The most important between them are:
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Some geographical names are used in plural only:
- les Andes the Ands
- les Alpes the Alps
- les Antilles the Antilles
- las Baléares the Balearic Islands
- les Carpathes the Carpathians
SADDEF.COMSingularia tantum
These are nouns used in singular only. The most important between them are:
1. The proper names: Jean John, Marie Mary, Paris Paris, France France etc. 2. Nouns, designating objects and phenomena unique in themselves, such as:
- le soleil sun
- la lune moon
- le sud south
- le nord north
- l'horizon horizon
- le lait milk
- le charbon coal
- le blé wheat
4. Abstract nouns, denoting quality, action or state:
- la joie joy
- la vaillance valor
- le développement development
- l'ingratitude ingratitude
- l'orgueil proud
- le pavage pavement
- l'argent money
- l'impressionisme impressionism
- la medicine medicine (medical science)
- la biologie biology.
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