Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Nouns-which-change-form-when-they-refer-to-males-or-to-females"

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Tab1
{| class="wikitable"
 
| colspan="2" |French
|English
|-
|Masculine
|Feminine
|
|-
|un ami
|une amie
|a friend
|-
|un employé
|une employée
|an employee (worker)
|-
|un rival
|une rivale
|a rival
|}
For words ending in -d, -t, -ois, -ais, -er, -ier an -e is added and the final consonant, previously not pronounced, is pronounced:
For words ending in -d, -t, -ois, -ais, -er, -ier an -e is added and the final consonant, previously not pronounced, is pronounced:




Tab2
{| class="wikitable"
 
| colspan="2" |French
|English
|-
|Masculine
|Feminine
|
|-
|un marchand
|une marchande
|a trader
|-
|un candidat
|une candidate
|a candidate
|-
|un avocat
|une avocate
|a lawyer
|-
|un bourgeois
|une bourgeoise
|a bourgeoisie)
|-
|un boulanger
|une boulangère
|a baker
|-
|un berger
|une bergère
|a shepherd
|-
|un fermier
|une fermière
|a farmer
|-
|un caissier
|une caissière
|a checkout operator
|-
|un romancier
|une romancière
|a novelist
|}




For words ending in -ien, -on, -an, -in, -ain in written form -(n)e is added and the final vowel, previously pronounced as a nasal vowel, is pronounced as an oral vowel plus -n:
For words ending in -ien, -on, -an, -in, -ain in written form -(n)e is added and the final vowel, previously pronounced as a nasal vowel, is pronounced as an oral vowel plus -n:


 
Tab4
{| class="wikitable"
 
| colspan="2" |French
|English
|-
|Masculine
|Feminine
|
|-
|un chien
|une chienne
|a dog/a bitch
|-
|un lion
|une lionne
|a lion/a lioness
|-
|un paysan
|une paysanne
|a farmer
|-
|un gitan
|une gitane
|a gypsy (pejorative)
|-
|un voisin
|une voisine
|a neighbour
|-
|un Africain
|une Africaine
|an African
|}
Some nouns add -esse.
Some nouns add -esse.


{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="2" |French
|English
|-
|Masculine
|Feminine
|
|-
|un âne
|une anesse
|a donkey
|-
|un chanoine
|une  chanoinesse
|a canon/canoness (religious)
|-
|un comte
|une comtesse
|a count I countess
|-
|un diable
|une diablesse
|a devil/she-devil
|-
|un drôle
|une drôlesse
|someone a little odd
|-
|un hôte
|une hôtesse
|a host/hostess
|-
|un ivrogne
|une ivrognesse
|a drunkard
|-
|un maître
|une maîtresse
|a master/mistress (in the school context)
|}


Tab5
{| class="wikitable"
 
| colspan="2" |French
 
|English
 
|-
|Masculine
|Feminine
|
|-
|un ogre
|une ogresse
|an ogre
|-
|un pauvre
|une pauvresse
|a poor person
|-
|un prêtre
|une prêtresse
|a priest/priestess
|-
|un prince
|une princesse
|a prince/princess
|-
|un Suisse
|une Suissesse
|a Swiss person
|-
|un tigre
|une tigresse
|a tiger/tigress
|}


Tab6


Nouns ending in -eur which are not derived from a French verb, change –eur to -rice:
Nouns ending in -eur which are not derived from a French verb, change –eur to -rice:


{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="2" |French
|English
|-
|Masculine
|Feminine
|
|-
|un ambassadeur
|une  ambassadrice
|an ambassador
|-
|un directeur
|une directrice
|a director
|-
|un empereur
|une impératrice
|an emperor/empress
|}


Tab7


Those ending in -eur which are derived from a French verb change to -euse:
Those ending in -eur which are derived from a French verb change to -euse:


Tab8
{| class="wikitable"
 
| colspan="2" |French
|English
|-
|Masculine
|Feminine
|
|-
|un chanteur
|une chanteuse
|a singer
|-
|un menteur
|une menteuse
|a liar
|-
|un voleur
|une voleuse
|a thief
|}


==Irregular patterns==
==Irregular patterns==
In addition to these regular patterns there are a number of masculine/feminine forms where the words are quite different:
In addition to these regular patterns there are a number of masculine/feminine forms where the words are quite different:


Tab9
{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="2" |French
|English
|-
|Masculine
|Feminine
|
|-
|un héros
|une héroïne
|a hero/heroine
|-
|un époux
|une épouse
|a husband/wife
|-
|un neveu
|une nièce
|a nephew/niece
|-
|un homme
|une femme
|a man/woman
|-
|un fils
|une fille
|a son/daughter
|-
|un garçon
|une fille
|a boy'/girl
|}

Revision as of 14:55, 11 October 2021

French-Language-PolyglotClub.png
Nouns which change form when they refer to males or to females

Regular patterns

For words ending in -i, -é, -u, -l an -e is added in the written form and the pronunciation remains the same:


French English
Masculine Feminine
un ami une amie a friend
un employé une employée an employee (worker)
un rival une rivale a rival

For words ending in -d, -t, -ois, -ais, -er, -ier an -e is added and the final consonant, previously not pronounced, is pronounced:


French English
Masculine Feminine
un marchand une marchande a trader
un candidat une candidate a candidate
un avocat une avocate a lawyer
un bourgeois une bourgeoise a bourgeoisie)
un boulanger une boulangère a baker
un berger une bergère a shepherd
un fermier une fermière a farmer
un caissier une caissière a checkout operator
un romancier une romancière a novelist


For words ending in -ien, -on, -an, -in, -ain in written form -(n)e is added and the final vowel, previously pronounced as a nasal vowel, is pronounced as an oral vowel plus -n:


French English
Masculine Feminine
un chien une chienne a dog/a bitch
un lion une lionne a lion/a lioness
un paysan une paysanne a farmer
un gitan une gitane a gypsy (pejorative)
un voisin une voisine a neighbour
un Africain une Africaine an African

Some nouns add -esse.


French English
Masculine Feminine
un âne une anesse a donkey
un chanoine une chanoinesse a canon/canoness (religious)
un comte une comtesse a count I countess
un diable une diablesse a devil/she-devil
un drôle une drôlesse someone a little odd
un hôte une hôtesse a host/hostess
un ivrogne une ivrognesse a drunkard
un maître une maîtresse a master/mistress (in the school context)
French English
Masculine Feminine
un ogre une ogresse an ogre
un pauvre une pauvresse a poor person
un prêtre une prêtresse a priest/priestess
un prince une princesse a prince/princess
un Suisse une Suissesse a Swiss person
un tigre une tigresse a tiger/tigress


Nouns ending in -eur which are not derived from a French verb, change –eur to -rice:

French English
Masculine Feminine
un ambassadeur une ambassadrice an ambassador
un directeur une directrice a director
un empereur une impératrice an emperor/empress


Those ending in -eur which are derived from a French verb change to -euse:

French English
Masculine Feminine
un chanteur une chanteuse a singer
un menteur une menteuse a liar
un voleur une voleuse a thief

Irregular patterns

In addition to these regular patterns there are a number of masculine/feminine forms where the words are quite different:

French English
Masculine Feminine
un héros une héroïne a hero/heroine
un époux une épouse a husband/wife
un neveu une nièce a nephew/niece
un homme une femme a man/woman
un fils une fille a son/daughter
un garçon une fille a boy'/girl
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