Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Nouns-which-change-form-when-they-refer-to-males-or-to-females"
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For words ending in -i, -é, -u, -l an -e is added in the written form and the pronunciation remains the same: | For words ending in -i, -é, -u, -l an -e is added in the written form and the pronunciation remains the same: | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! colspan="2" |'''French''' | |||
!'''English''' | |||
|- | |- | ||
!''Masculine'' | |||
!''Feminine'' | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
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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: | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! colspan="2" |'''French''' | |||
!'''English''' | |||
|- | |- | ||
!''Masculine'' | |||
!''Feminine'' | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
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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: | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! colspan="2" |'''French''' | |||
!'''English''' | |||
|- | |- | ||
!''Masculine'' | |||
!''Feminine'' | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
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Some nouns add -esse. | Some nouns add -esse. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! colspan="2" |'''French''' | |||
!'''English''' | |||
|- | |- | ||
!''Masculine'' | |||
!''Feminine'' | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
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{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! colspan="2" |'''French''' | |||
!'''English''' | |||
|- | |- | ||
!''Masculine'' | |||
!''Feminine'' | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
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{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! colspan="2" |'''French''' | |||
!'''English''' | |||
|- | |- | ||
!''Masculine'' | |||
!''Feminine'' | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
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{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! colspan="2" |'''French''' | |||
!'''English''' | |||
|- | |- | ||
!''Masculine'' | |||
!''Feminine'' | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- |
Revision as of 14:59, 11 October 2021
Nouns which change form when they refer to males or to females
Regular patterns
words ending in -i, -é, -u, -l
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 |
words ending in -d, -t, -ois, -ais, -er, -ier
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 |
words ending in -ien, -on, -an, -in, -ain
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 |
add -esse
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) |
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
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
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 |