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Masculine and feminine nouns, the clues in word endings, feminine forms of people and jobs, and regular and irregular plurals.
In French every noun is masculine or feminine, even things: «le livre» (book), «la table» (table). The word for "the" shows it: «le» (masculine), «la» (feminine), «l'» (before a vowel or a silent h, either gender), «les» (plural). The word for "a" shows it too: «un» (masculine), «une» (feminine).
The gender is part of the word, so learn each noun with its article: «un stylo», «une trousse», «le collège», «la cantine». The gender of a noun decides the form of other words with it: «mon livre», «ma table», «un grand livre», «une grande table». Tap the words to hear them.
Endings help you guess. Usually feminine: «-tion» («la nation»), «-sion» («la télévision»), «-té» («la liberté»), «-ée» («la journée»), «-ure» («la voiture»), «-ette» («la cigarette»), «-ence» / «-ance» («la patience»), «-ie» («la pharmacie»). Usually masculine: «-age» («le voyage»), «-ment» («le gouvernement»), «-eau» («le bateau»), «-isme» («le tourisme»), «-ier» («le cahier»), «-et» («le billet»).
There are exceptions you should know: «la page», «la plage», «la cage», «la nage» (feminine despite -age), «le lycée», «le musée» (masculine despite -ée), «le problème», «le système», «le thème», «le programme» (masculine despite -e). Letters at the end of a word are clues, not rules.
Which gender is "la solution", and how can you tell?
Feminine, because words in -tion are feminine. The article la and the ending -tion both show feminine.
For people, the usual rule is to add -e: «un ami» / «une amie», «un étudiant» / «une étudiante», «un Français» / «une Française». Some endings change more: -er → -ère («un boulanger» / «une boulangère»), -eur → -euse («un vendeur» / «une vendeuse»), -teur → -trice («un acteur» / «une actrice»), -ien → -ienne («un mécanicien» / «une mécanicienne»), -on → -onne («un lion» / «une lionne»).
Some words are the same for both: «un/une élève», «un/une journaliste», «un/une enfant», «un/une collègue». Some jobs only have a masculine form in everyday use: «un médecin», «un professeur», «un ingénieur» (you say «Ma mère est médecin»). Make sure the adjective agrees with the person: «une amie sympathique».
Most nouns add -s: «un livre» → «des livres», «une table» → «des tables». The -s is not pronounced, so listen to the article: «le» / «la» → «les», «un» / «une» → «des», «mon» → «mes». Nouns already ending in -s, -x or -z do not change: «un fils» → «des fils», «une voix» → «des voix», «un nez» → «des nez».
Nouns in -eau, -eu and -au add -x: «un bateau» → «des bateaux», «un jeu» → «des jeux», «un tuyau» → «des tuyaux». Nouns in -al change to -aux: «un animal» → «des animaux», «un journal» → «des journaux». Exceptions: «un bal» → «des bals», «un festival» → «des festivals». Nouns in -ail often change to -aux: «un travail» → «des travaux».
What is the plural of "un bateau"?
des bateaux Nouns in -eau add x in the plural.
A few plurals are irregular: «un œil» → «des yeux» (eye), «madame» → «mesdames», «monsieur» → «messieurs», «un œuf» → «des œufs» (the f is silent in the plural).
Some nouns are always plural: «les vacances», «les devoirs», «les maths», «les gens» (people), «les ciseaux» (scissors), «les lunettes» (glasses), «les fiançailles» (engagement), «les courses» (shopping). «Les gens» is masculine plural: «Les gens sont gentils». Family names do not take s: «les Dupont».
A few words change meaning with the gender: «le livre» (book) / «la livre» (pound), «le tour» (turn, trip) / «la tour» (tower), «le poste» (job, set) / «la poste» (post office), «le mode» (method) / «la mode» (fashion), «le voile» (veil) / «la voile» (sail), «le mémoire» (dissertation) / «la mémoire» (memory). The article is the only clue in speech.
Pay attention to «la poste» in exams: it is the post office, but «le poste de télévision» is the TV set. Also «le tour de France» (a trip round France) and «la tour Eiffel» (the Eiffel Tower). These are favourite word-trap questions in reading.
What does "la poste" mean?
the post office La poste is feminine and means the post office; le poste is a job or a set.
Everything near the noun changes with it: «Mes amies sont gentilles et mes amis sont sportifs.» The article, possessive, adjective and verb all agree. In a long sentence, check each noun, then each word that goes with it. For example: «Les grandes villes ont des musées intéressants.»
Write the noun and article first, then add the adjective: «une grande maison», «des grands-parents». For a mixed group, the masculine plural wins: «Mon frère et ma sœur sont grands.» If you are not sure of the gender, write a sentence that avoids the problem: use the plural (les) or a pronoun (il, elle) you are sure about.
Gender and plurals are tested in every writing question, so accuracy matters. Check three things for each noun: the article, the adjective and the verb. In translation, "the books are interesting" needs «les livres sont intéressants» (plural noun, plural verb, plural adjective).
In listening, you often hear gender only in the article: «un» / «une» sound different, and «le» / «la» are clear. In reading, use endings and articles to find the gender of unknown words. When you learn vocabulary, always write the article with the noun.
Which sentence has the right agreement?
Mes amies sont gentilles. Mes (plural), amies (feminine plural), sont (plural verb) and gentilles (feminine plural) all agree.
Write the plural: un livre, une table, un bateau.
Answer: des livres, des tables, des bateaux
Write the feminine: un vendeur, un boulanger, un acteur, un mécanicien.
Answer: une vendeuse, une boulangère, une actrice, une mécanicienne
Complete with the correct form: Les (journal) sont intéressants et mes (ami) (sportif).
Answer: Les journaux sont intéressants et mes amis sont sportifs.
Try each one, then open the answer.
What is the plural of "un livre"?
Answer: des livres
What is the plural of "un animal"?
Answer: des animaux
What is the feminine of "un étudiant"?
Answer: une étudiante
What is the gender of "la liberté"? (m or f)
Answer: f
Write the plural of "le jeu".
Answer: les jeux
Write the feminine of "un vendeur" with the article.
Answer: une vendeuse
Write the plural of "le festival".
Answer: les festivals
Translate into French: the post office
Answer: la poste
Translate into French: My friends (girls) are nice.
Answer: Mes amies sont gentilles
Translate into French: The newspapers are interesting.
Answer: Les journaux sont intéressants
Translate into French: The big cities have interesting museums.
Answer: Les grandes villes ont des musées intéressants
What does "Les yeux de ma sœur sont bleus" mean?
Answer: My sister's eyes are blue
Longer tasks with the marking points. These are Yumio practice questions.
Translate into French. (a) The books are interesting. (b) My friends (girls) are nice. (c) a big house [5 marks]
Answer: Les livres sont intéressants. Mes amies sont gentilles. Une grande maison.
Write about 50 words in French describing the people and places in your town. Use at least four plural nouns and two feminine adjectives. [6 marks]
Answer: Dans ma ville, il y a des musées intéressants et de grandes places. Les habitants sont sympathiques. Mes amies vont souvent aux concerts et aux festivals. Les journaux locaux parlent des animaux du zoo.
des journals
Nouns in -al become -aux: des journaux.
des bateaus
Nouns in -eau add x: des bateaux.
un plage
La plage is feminine despite -age.
une problème
Le problème is masculine despite the final -e.
le poste (post office)
The post office is la poste.
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