Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Collective-nouns"
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Revision as of 13:47, 11 October 2021
Collective nouns in French
Collective nouns refer to collections of people or things.
Typical collective nouns
| French | English |
|---|---|
| assistance (f) | audience |
| comité (m) | committee |
| équipe (f) | team |
| foule (f) | crowd |
| gouvernement (m) | government |
| linge (m) de maison | household linen |
| main-d'oeuvre (f) | workforce |
| peuple (m) | people |
| vaisselle (f) | dishes, crockery |
When a collective noun is the subject of a clause, the verb is usually singular.
This contrasts with English, where the verb can be either singular or plural:
- Le gouvernement a (NOT *ont) décidé d'interdire la publicité pour les cigarettes
The government has/have decided to ban cigarette advertizing
- L'équipe s'entraîne (NOT *s'entraînent) le jeudi soir
The team trains/train on Thursday evenings