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

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<div style="font-size:300%"> Nouns which change form when they refer to males or to females</div>
<div class="pg_page_title"> Nouns which change form when they refer to males or to females</div>
Nouns in French are either masculine or feminine. Unfortunately there are no simple rules which non-native speakers can use to predict with complete accuracy the gender of a given noun. However, there are some patterns, either in the form or meaning of nouns, which can normally be used to predict the correct gender with greater than chance accuracy. The reader should remember, however, that these patterns are not comprehensive, and that there are exceptions.


<span link>Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson:</span> [[Language/French/Grammar/Possessive-determiners|Possessive determiners]], [[Language/French/Grammar/Omission-of-the-article|Omission of the article]], [[Language/French/Grammar/Invariable-adjectives|Invariable adjectives]] & [[Language/French/Grammar/Summary-table-of-articles|Summary table of articles]].
==Regular patterns==
==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:
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
! colspan="2" |'''French'''
|English
!'''English'''
|-
|-
|Masculine
!''Masculine''
|Feminine
!''Feminine''
|
|
|-
|-
Line 26: Line 27:
|a rival
|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:
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
! colspan="2" |'''French'''
|English
!'''English'''
|-
|-
|Masculine
!''Masculine''
|Feminine
!''Feminine''
|
|
|-
|-
Line 74: Line 74:
|}
|}


 
===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:
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
! colspan="2" |'''French'''
|English
!'''English'''
|-
|-
|Masculine
!''Masculine''
|Feminine
!''Feminine''
|
|
|-
|-
Line 110: Line 108:
|an African
|an African
|}
|}
===add -esse===
Some nouns add -esse.
Some nouns add -esse.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="2" |French
! colspan="2" |'''French'''
|English
!'''English'''
|-
|-
|Masculine
!''Masculine''
|Feminine
!''Feminine''
|
|
|-
|-
Line 152: Line 149:
|une maîtresse
|une maîtresse
|a master/mistress (in the school context)
|a master/mistress (in the school context)
|}
{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="2" |French
|English
|-
|Masculine
|Feminine
|
|-
|-
|un ogre
|un ogre
Line 187: Line 175:
|}
|}


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


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="2" |French
! colspan="2" |'''French'''
|English
!'''English'''
|-
|-
|Masculine
!''Masculine''
|Feminine
!''Feminine''
|
|
|-
|-
Line 211: Line 199:
|}
|}


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


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="2" |French
! colspan="2" |'''French'''
|English
!'''English'''
|-
|-
|Masculine
!''Masculine''
|Feminine
!''Feminine''
|
|
|-
|-
Line 236: Line 224:


==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:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="2" |French
! colspan="2" |'''French'''
|English
!'''English'''
|-
|-
|Masculine
!''Masculine''
|Feminine
!''Feminine''
|
|
|-
|-
Line 270: Line 259:
|a boy'/girl
|a boy'/girl
|}
|}
==Other Lessons==
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Homophones|Homophones]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Quantifiers-—-tout-and-chaque|Quantifiers — tout and chaque]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Questions|Questions]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Well-Better-Worse|Well Better Worse]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Wrong-use-of-neutral-le-in-phrases-where-'it'-occurs-in-English|Wrong use of neutral le in phrases where 'it' occurs in English]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/How-to-Guess-the-Gender-of-French-Nouns|How to Guess the Gender of French Nouns]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Gender-of-the-noun-indicated-by-its-final-letter|Gender of the noun indicated by its final letter]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/"de"-when-an-adjective-precedes-the-noun|"de" when an adjective precedes the noun]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Verbs-which-take-noun-+-adjective-or-noun-+-noun-complements|Verbs which take noun + adjective or noun + noun complements]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Masculine-and-feminine-forms-of-adjectives-—-A-change-in-written,-but-not-spoken|Masculine and feminine forms of adjectives — A change in written, but not spoken]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Position-of-object-pronouns-with-imperatives|Position of object pronouns with imperatives]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/How-to-use-falloir|How to use falloir]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/An-adjective-agreeing-with-nouns-linked-by-et,-ou-or-ni|An adjective agreeing with nouns linked by et, ou or ni]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Ditransitive-verbs|Ditransitive verbs]]
* [[Language/French/Grammar/Stressed-pronouns-with-même,-aussi,-seul,-autres,-tous-and-numerals|Stressed pronouns with même, aussi, seul, autres, tous and numerals]]
<span links></span>

Latest revision as of 13:52, 27 March 2023

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

Nouns in French are either masculine or feminine. Unfortunately there are no simple rules which non-native speakers can use to predict with complete accuracy the gender of a given noun. However, there are some patterns, either in the form or meaning of nouns, which can normally be used to predict the correct gender with greater than chance accuracy. The reader should remember, however, that these patterns are not comprehensive, and that there are exceptions.

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Possessive determiners, Omission of the article, Invariable adjectives & Summary table of articles.

Regular patterns[edit | edit source]

words ending in -i, -é, -u, -l[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

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