Language/French/Grammar/Nouns-which-refer-both-to-males-and-to-females
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Bonjour! French learners 😀
Nouns in French are either masculine or feminine. Unfortunately, there is no easy rules for predicting the gender of a noun.
Here is a list of French names that refer to either men or women simply by changing the determinant from masculine to feminine:
Please write a comment below if you know of other similar nouns! 👌
Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Possessive determiners, Omission of the article, Weather verbs & Directly transitive verbs without objects.
Nouns which refer both to males and to females[edit | edit source]
French | Translation |
---|---|
un/une adulte | an adult |
un/une adversaire | an adversary |
un/une artiste | an artist |
un/une bibliothécaire | a librarian |
un/une camarade | a comrade |
un/une célibataire | a bachelor/spinster (an unmarried person) |
un/une chimiste | a chemist (scientist) |
un/une collègue | a colleague |
un/une compatriote | a compatriot |
un/une complice | an accomplice |
un/une concierge | a porter |
un/une convive | a guest |
un/une dentiste | a dentist |
un/une élève | a (school) pupil |
un/une enfant | a child |
un/une esclave | a slave |
un/une fonctionnaire | a civil servant |
un/une gosse | a kid (a word for a child in informal French) |
un/une interprète | an interpreter |
un/une journaliste | a journalist |
un/une libraire | a bookseller |
un/une locataire | a tenant |
un/une malade | a person who is ill |
un/une partenaire | a partner |
un/une patriote | a patriot |
un/une pensionnaire | a boarder (as in boarding school) |
un/une philosophe | a philosopher |
un/une photographe | a photographer |
un/une pianiste | a pianist |
un/une pique-assiette | a sponger |
un/une secrétaire | a secretary |
un/une touriste | a tourist |
- NB: "pupille" meaning "pupil of the eye" is uniquely female. In fixed expressions such as "pupille de la Nation" (Ward of the Nation), "pupille de l'Etat" (Ward of the State), the noun designates a child whose education is funded by the State. In this sense, "pupille" can be masculine or feminine depending on the sex of the child.
Gender of Nouns (all lessons)[edit source]
Other Chapters[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Polite Form
- Restrictions on possible combinations
- Agreement of the past participle having the auxiliary "être" in compound tenses
- Double object constructions with no preposition
- English and French adverb formation
- Subjunctive Mood
- Agreement of past participles with preceding direct objects in questions
- Position of object pronouns with faire, laisser, envoyer or verbs of perception + infinitive
- Subject verb agreement — Agreement with more than one subject linked by “et”
- Emphasizing me, te, se, nous, vous by adding a pronoun + même
- How to use Have
- L’on VS on
- Subject verb agreement — Verb agreement with fractions
- Plurals of nouns ending in –ou
- encore VS toujours